Scientific advice

Core areas

DTU Aqua provides scientific advice to both Danish and international authorities on sustainable utilization and management of aquatic resources and the impact of human activities on the aquatic environment. The advice is based on the institute's monitoring of fisheries and fish stocks as well as research into the biology and population ecology of aquatic organisms, physical and chemical processes in the aquatic environment, and the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, taking into account all relevant natural and anthropogenic influences.

Advice are primarily supplied within the following core areas: 

• Evaluation of the development of fish and shellfish stocks
• Catch opportunities 
• Fisheries technology
• Fisheries management 
• The effects of fishery and other human activities on the marine ecosystem and on the fish and shellfish stocks 
• Restoration of fish and shellfish stocks 
• Restoration of habitats for fish and shellfish
• Aquaculture production 

Most of DTU Aqua’s research projects are intended to strengthen the basis for the advice and consultancy that the institute provides for public authorities. Public sector consultancy accounts for two-thirds of the institute’s financial basis.

Contracts with Danish and foreign authorities and organizations

DTU Aqua's largest contract on scientific advice is with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark. This contract comprises monitoring of fisheries and fish and shellfish stocks, advising public authorities, the fishing industry and sector organizations, and research designed to support advisory and monitoring activities. 

In accordance with the EU Data Collection Framework, DTU Aqua has a comprehensive monitoring and advisory contract with the European Commission.

A significant part of the biological advice on fisheries management is conducted via the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the European Commission’s Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). DTU Aqua represents Denmark on the ICES Advisory Council and participates in the ICES Advisory and Science Committees as well as around 70 expert groups.  

Furthermore, DTU Aqua advises international organizations and regional fishery commissions such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), OSPAR Commission and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO). 

DTU Aqua also conducts scientific advice in the area of the environment, advising the Ministry of Environment of Denmark on for example anthropogenic effect of fisheries in relation to the Habitat Directive, the Water Directive and the implementation of the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

In addition, DTU Aqua has a partnership agreement with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, which involves advising Greenlandic authorities in selected areas in international advisory and fisheries management bodies.

EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The objective of the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive is to achieve and maintain a good environmental status in European waters. Fishery is one of the activities that has the greatest impact on the marine environment, and DTU Aqua’s expertise in the area of fish and fishery is assimilated into the work to develop Danish marine strategies. In addition to fish populations and fisheries impacts, DTU Aqua monitors seafloor litter and provides advice on marine litter and ingestion of litter by marine biota.

The Ministry of Environment is responsible for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Denmark.

EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive

The Maritime Spatial Planning Directive creates a common framework for ecosystem based maritime spatial planning in European waters.

DTU Aqua's expertise in relation to marine habitats, environmental impacts of fisheries and world leading capabilities in analyzing fishing fleet dynamics including interactions with other maritime sectors puts DTU Aqua at the forefront in relation to providing the science needed to underpin ecosystem based maritime spatial planning.