Myfish was an EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funded project which aimed to define an operational framework for the implementation of the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) concept in European waters.
MSY refers to the largest long term average catch that can be taken from a fish stock under existing environmental conditions.
The European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has made a commitment to direct management of fish stocks towards achieving MSY. However, managing fisheries to obtain MSY in practice is challenging because achieving MSY for an individual stock can hamper the achievement of MSY for other stocks and compromise ecological, environmental, economic, or social aims.
The objective of the Myfish project was to address these difficulties. The project concentrated on the five main areas for European fisheries: the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, western waters (Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, Bay of Biscay and Iberian Sea) and widely ranging fish (encompassing the pan-regional pelagic stocks such as tuna and herring). Social aspects were integrated throughout the project by active involvement of stakeholders in the definition and evaluation of MSY variants.
Myfish Project Coordinator, Anna Rindorf said: "The Myfish project has been a journey into the unknown, attempting to satisfy the broad range of ecosystem, economic, social and governance objectives while the new CFP was only just entering into force. We have challenged ourselves and the NGO, industry and management stakeholders joining us in the process with high aspirations to provide the scientific advice needed to make relevant, effective and informed policy decisions."
The results of the project are now available on the project's website: www.myfishproject.eu
