Fisheries closure

General Information

North Sea

Baltic Sea

Clyde Marine Region

Adriatic Sea

Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Fisheries Closure

Layer Info
Category	Ecology
Sub-category	Fishing

Description

Fishing activities may be restricted from operating in certain areas to preserve the fishing stocks, protect sensible or declining species or even habitats. The fisheries closure layer shows where fishing is not allowed for one or more fleets.

MSP Challenge

This is a static but editable layer, the ecosystem simulation will take into account the areas where fisheries are not allowed. If the fisheries closure is not specific to a fishing fleet, all fishing fleets will be considered banned from the area.

Fisheries closures will affect the ecosystem simulation by communicating to the respective EwE models that none of the fleets are allowed to fish in these areas.

Return to protected areas

Return to fishing.

In the North Sea Edition of the MSP Challenge the fisheries closure is under Marine Protected Areas.

Digital Twin Edition

The fishing closures were integrated under the Marine Protected Areas data layer in 05/2025.

Sand Extraction Edition | Shrimp Closure

In the Sand Extraction Edition of the MSP Challenge, the fisheries closure layer is called Shrimp Closure, and represent the areas closed to fishing for shrimp.

Types

Not applicable.

Metadata

Data Source

Rijkswaterstaat

Original Title

"noordzeekustvisserijakkoord_2017_vibeg2"

Description

Not available.

Creation Date

Not available.

Methodology

Not available.

In the Baltic Sea there are two fisheries closure data layers, one for all fleets and another one for cod. The layers are not visible in the menu but are taken into account in the ecossystem simulation.

Types

Not applicable.

Metadata

Data Source

HELCOM

Original Title

Fisheries closure and cod fisheries closure

Description

Not available.

Creation Date

Not available. Implemented in MSP Challenge on 2017/10.

Methodology

Implemented as retrieved.

Western Baltic Sea

The Fisheries Closure layer in the Western Baltic Sea Edition remains consistent with that featured in the Baltic Sea edition.

Not applicable.

This data layer is not available in the Clyde Marine Region Edition.

Not applicable.

This data layer is not available in the Adriatic Sea Edition.

Not applicable.

This layer is not present in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.