2008/2009 programme

Longlines Defra recently announced a three-year, £3 million continuation of the Fishery Science Partnership (FSP). This programme has been running since 2003, and is regarded nationally and internationally as a success.

The programme is managed by a steering group of Defra, the NFFO and Cefas. Most projects are agreed on an annual basis.

New Projects

New projects for the FSP have been agreed. About two-thirds of the funds will support the long-term development and continuation of surveys that give time-series of catch-rates of key species. We expect these data to be used in the ICES stock assessments, and this has already happened with the Western Channel plaice survey. The remaining funds will support one-off investigations.

Time-series surveys

The following surveys will be continued for another three-years.

A northern and southern Western Channel beam-trawl survey, primarily for anglerfish, along with lemon sole, sole and cod.
An eastern and western Western Channel beam-trawl survey, primarily for plaice and sole, along with anglerfish and cod.
An eastern and western Irish Sea survey for cod, haddock and whiting.
A North-east coast survey, primarily for cod and whiting, along with haddock.

To ensure that the industry has a survey that contributes to the ICES North Sea stock assessments, a new survey has been agreed that will cover large parts of the North Sea. When the time-series is established it is expected that this survey will be at least as important as the current research vessel surveys in determining the status of the stocks. The targets species will be cod, haddock, whiting and plaice.

One-off projects

Some individual projects have been agreed for this financial year.

The so-called "cod watch" and "saithe watch" projects of 2007 recorded individual haul data, from a number of vessels, on the abundance and distribution of size categories of cod and saithe. With joint support from Yorkshire Forward, both of these projects have been extended for another year.

A southern North Sea bass project will look at the selectivity of gill nets and the feasibility of a targeted, selective fishery for bass.

More one-off projects may be agreed during the year.

The 2008/09 Projects:

Project 1 North Sea Codwatch

A continuation of the programme set up in 2007/2008, this programme will describe the fine scale distribution and abundance in time and space of the 2006 year class as 2 year-olds in 2008, to describe the fine scale distribution and abundance in time and space of the 2007 year class as 1 year-olds in 2008 and two-year olds in 2009. And to better understand the spatial and temporal distribution of aggregations of cod (all ages).

Timing: June 2008 - March 2009.

Project 2 Northern North Sea Saithe

A continuation of the programme set up in 2007/2008 this will describe the fine scale distribution and abundance in time and space of saithe and cod, including specific information on the 2005 and 2006 year-classes of saithe, and the 2006 and 2007 year-classes of cod.

Timing: May 2008 - March 2009.

Project 3.North East Cod and Whiting

Purpose: To extend the time-series of surveys of NE coast cod carried out in 2003, 2004, 2005,2006 and 2007 in order to provide year-on-year comparative information on distribution, relative abundance and size/age composition of cod, and to obtain additional information on distribution, relative abundance and size/age composition of whiting and haddock off the NE coast.

Timing: October.

Project 4. Western Channel Sole and Plaice

Purpose: To extend the time-series of surveys in the Western English Channel in order to provide information on distribution patterns of sole, plaice and other commercial by-catch species, trends in abundance and age composition of sole and plaice, and additional information on the by-catch of species such as cod.

Timing: late August to October.

Project 5. 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.

Project 6. Irish Sea Roundfish

Purpose: To repeat the FSP surveys of cod, haddock and whiting in the western and eastern Irish Sea carried out since 2004, maintaining the time-series. The target species are cod, haddock and whiting.

Timing: February/March 2009.

Project 7. North Sea whitefish

Purpose: A time-series to develop a North Sea survey 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: September/October

Project 8. North Sea bass gill netting

Purpose: To assess the selective properties of gill nets (over a range of mesh sizes) in an emergent bass fishery in the central and Southern North Sea and to evaluate the survival rates of discarded bass caught in the gill nets.

Timing: August to November.