Table 1.

Surface area, sponge wet weight biomass and total removal in four NAFO Divisions estimated for the entire study area, the NAFO fishing footprint, and the areas closed to protect VMEs.

Spatial extent	Surface area (km2)			Biomass (t)		Fishing footprint (km2)	Removal (t)
	Total area	Modelling approach	Grid-cell approach	Modelling approach	Grid-cell approach		Modelling approach	Grid-cell approach
Modelled Area	135 056.82	—	121 959.17	231 136	121 967	—	—	—
3L - Flemish Pass	26 802.12	—	25 869.34	28 060	24 814	—	—	—
3M - Flemish Cap	61 605.37	—	56 817.54	147 837	61 321	—	—	—
3N - Tail of Grand Bank	40 143.01	—	33 452.17	51 543	35 831	—	—	—
3O -	6 506.32	—	5 820.12	3 696	1	—	—	—
Grid-cell Area	123 307.31	121 959.17	—	137 866	122 465	—	—	—
3L - Flemish Pass	26 035.06	25 869.34	—	21 392	24 814	—	—	—
3M - Flemish Cap	57 312.36	56 817.54	—	85 429	61 819	—	—	—
3N - Tail of Grand Bank	33 899.54	33 452.17	—	28 739	35 831	—	—	—
3O -	6 060.35	5 820.12	—	2 306	1	—	—	—
NAFO Fishing Footprint	120 047.80	119 246.07	118 613.24	116 143	81 169	22 765.18	4 815	661
3L - Flemish Pass	25 292.40	25 125.42	25 243.03	16 573	12 431	6 518.49	1 095	207
3M - Flemish Cap	56 395.00	56 323.71	55 366.88	76 994	48 799	9 630.51	2 580	367
3N - Tail of Grand Bank	32 572.40	32 104.72	32 303.91	20 574	20 938	5 466.85	1 120	86
3O -	5 788.00	5 692.22	5 699.424	2 002	1	1 149.33	20	1
Closures to Protect VMEs	26 513.84	12 830.09	12 304.11	96 300	118 562	—	—	—
3L - Flemish Pass	2 736.02	2 736.02	2 726.62	11 930	24 062	—	—	—
3M - Flemish Cap	6 696.59	5 252.35	5 382.00	61 790	59 000	—	—	—
3N - Tail of Grand Bank	2 896.93	2 890.50	2 757.29	19 170	35 500	—	—	—
3O -	14 184.30	1 951.22	1 438.20	3 410	—	—	—	—