Fisheries biomass

We use acoustic technology to measure the abundance, distribution and size of fish and populations. This provides us with the quantitative data that is essential for managing and maintaining stock sustainability.

As fisheries acoustic data can be recorded continuously, large areas can be covered in relatively little time with high resolution. Where possible, we combine acoustic data with catch data to increase accuracy. As most pelagic species can be identified on echograms, for example sandeels, sprat and herring, stock assessments for these species are mainly based on acoustic surveys.

Benefits of acoustics for assessing biomass

• Quantitative data
• Records data for the whole water column
• Non-invasive technique so natural behaviour is relatively undisturbed
• Provides fish abundance and species identification for pelagic species
• Provides fish density distribution of demersal species