Round goby—need for collaborative science and management in Nordic and Baltic countries (39171)

Originating from the Ponto-Caspian region, the round goby Neogobius melanostomus has within recent years proliferated in several Nordic and Baltic coastal waters. Round goby is now not only posing a threat to native goby species occupying similar habitats, but also to the traditional coastal fishery through competition for food resources with commercially and recreationally important coastal species, and consumption of their fry and eggs. Furthermore, fishermen report on declined shrimp catches, one of the preferred prey items of adult round goby.

The overarching aim of this project is to have a common Nordic and Baltic workshop on round goby. This will enable knowledge transfer across borders, identification of knowledge gaps and creating wide research projects on issues related to round goby invasion. Equally important, it would provide an opportunity to inform relevant authorities on the challenges of managing the species and to develop instruments to mitigate the impact on native coastal species and fisheries. Outcome of the workshop will be a report on the current distribution and status of round goby in the Nordic/Baltic countries that could be used for future risk analyses and basis for management decisions, indicating future needs.

The project is coordinated by DTU Aqua. 

Research area: Marine Populations and Ecosystem Dynamics