Current programme (2011/12)
Defra has confirmed the continued funding of the Fisheries
Science Partnership programme for a further year in 2011/12, with
£950,000 allocated for the year.
The established time-series surveys of northeast cod, western
anglerfish, Irish Sea roundfish and western Channel sole and plaice
(west) will complete a ninth year of surveys in March 2012 and may
be extended for a further two more years thereafter (subject to
continuation of funding for the programme). The third year of the
North Sea whitefish time-series will take place in June/July
2011.
The agreed new, one-off projects are:
- modified commercial trawl survey
- gill net pollack survey
- spurdog, porbeagle and common skate by-catch and discard
reduction
- cuttlefish diversification (inshore)
- fishing industry multi-beam sonar marine habitats survey
- western Channel sprats stock assessment
2011/2012 projects:
Project 7: North Sea whitefish
Purpose: To undertake the third year of the
North Sea whitefish time series to compare the catch rate of our
whitefish species using an otter trawl on hard grounds and a
scraper trawl on soft grounds. Detailed measurements will be made
of cod, whiting, haddock and possibly plaice.
Timing: June/July
Vessel: Allegiance
S (PDF, 568 KB)
Project 23: Northeast cod and whiting
Purpose: To extend the time series of surveys
of NE coast cod carried out in 2003 - 2010 in order to provide
year-on-year comparative information on the distribution, relative
abundance and the size/age composition of cod. Also, to obtain
additional information on the distribution, relative abundance and
the size/age composition of whiting and haddock off the NE
coast.
Timing: October
Vessel: Abbie Lee
(PDF, 1.8 MB)
Project 24: Western Channel sole and plaice
Purpose: To extend the time series of surveys
in the western English Channel in order to provide information on
the distribution patterns of sole, plaice and other commercial
by-catch species; trends in abundance and the age composition of
sole and plaice; and additional information on the by-catch of
species such as cod.
Timing: September to October
Vessel: FV
Carhelmar (PDF, 796 KB)
Project 25: Western anglerfish
Purpose: To extend the time series of surveys
to provide data on the distribution, catch rates and length
distribution of anglerfish, lemon sole, sole and cod caught using
commercial gear off southwest England.
Timing: September to November
Vessels: Billy
Rowney and Twilight III (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Project 26a & b: Irish Sea roundfish (East & West surveys)
Purpose: To extend the time series of surveys
of cod, haddock and whiting in the western and eastern Irish Sea
carried out since 2004. The target species are cod, haddock and
whiting.
Timing: February 2012
Vessels: Isadale and Benaiah
Project 27: Modified Commercial Trawl
Purpose: To extend last year's work with the
horizontal separator trawl (based on a standard commercial NE coast
trawl) where it was found that whiting, bib, dab and lemon sole
preferentially travelled down the centre of the trawl during the
catching process and experiment with the position of escape panels
to improve its selectivity.
Timing: September
Vessel: Our Lass
II (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Project 28: Gillnet Pollack Survey
Purpose: The primary objective of this project
will be to demonstrate the potential for a new gill net fishery for
pollack on offshore wrecks in the eastern Channel (ICES Division
VIId) in spring
Timing: February 2012
Vessel:
Jubilee Pride
Project 29: Spurdog, porbeagle and common skate by-catch and discard reduction
Purpose: To collect field data on the numbers
of elasmobranchs of conservation interest (porbeagle, common skate
and spurdog) taken as by-catch in offshore gillnet fisheries and
their survivability (i.e. health prior to discarding).
Timing: August, October & February
Vessel: Govenek of Ladram &
Charisma
Project 30: Cuttlefish Diversification (Inshore)
Purpose: To explore gear configurations that
could improve selectivity in the current fishery and collect
information on the catches, including associated species caught,
that would help inform managers on management of the resource in
future.
Timing: October / November
Vessel:
Ocean Spirit (PDF, 832 KB)
Project 31: Fishing industry multibeam sidescan sonar marine habitats survey trial
Purpose: to evaluate the potential of using
fishing vessels as platforms for conducting seabed habitat surveys
to inform marine management.
Timing: November
Vessel: Providence
(PDF, 4.5 MB)
Project 32: Western Channel Sprats Stock Assessment
Purpose: to assess the western Channel sprat
population, given the importance of the fishery to the local
community and its likely sustainable nature, by surveying the
relevant area to provide an estimate of the stock size at
the time of the fishery.
Timing: October
Vessel: Mary Anne
(PDF, 1.7MB)
Further details on 2011/12 projects will be updated on this page
once contract negotiations are completed.