Fisheries surveys are crucial for tracking fish stocks and ecosystems. But many of these surveys are now being blocked.
Offshore wind farms and marine protected areas (MPAs) are closing off routes that were previously used by ships and aircraft.
This growing problem was at the heart of a major workshop held in Copenhagen in June 2025.
Around 50 experts from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) met to find solutions.
Data at Risk
“Almost all fisheries surveys in Europe are being hit,” said workshop co-chair Duane Stevenson of NOAA. In the North Sea, for example, trawl and acoustic surveys are already losing ground. Aerial tuna surveys in the Mediterranean have even stopped altogether.
These gaps threaten the long-term data series that guide quotas and stock advice.
Without consistent monitoring, fisheries managers face uncertainty — and that can mean less secure food supplies.
A Strategy for the Future
ICES is now drafting a mitigation plan. It calls for standard protocols, new technologies, and closer cooperation with developers of offshore projects.
The U.S. has already led the way, requiring wind developers to avoid harming key surveys.
“We need to keep surveys going, or the science suffers,” said co-chair Pia Schuchert. “That means new tools, resources, and awareness.”
The report emphasises that without reliable data, both the fishing industry and the public lose. ICES hopes the plan will help keep science strong in seas that are becoming increasingly busy every year.