New publication: Length distribution of bass discards in the UK trawl fishery
Cefas has been using trained scientific observers to sample the catch of UK (England and Wales) fishing vessels, in accordance with EC Data Collection Regulations, since 2000. During the first two years of the programme, sampling was undertaken in the North Sea only, but since 2002 the sampling programme has covered other ICES Divisions in which the UK has an interest (Figure 1). Prior to 2006, the programme collected data on the catches of the >10 m fleet, but sampling was extended to vessels <10 m from July 2006.
This report uses data collected by this catch sampling programme to describe the length distribution of bass caught using a variety of mesh sizes in trawls, and to indicate the effect of an increase in minimum landing size (MLS) on the proportion of bass retained or discarded. Additional information on commercial landings is also presented.
