Acronym NA
Category
Fisheries
Title Cetacean Bycatch Observer Monitoring System Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Simon Northridge Coordinator email spn1@st-andrews.ac.uk
Coordinator institution
SMRU - University of St Andrews; Sea Mammal Research Unit (United Kingdom)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2011 End year 2017 Funding (€) € 1,598,004 Website http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=18535 Summary In order to assess the effectiveness of the use of pingers in these fisheries an appropriate level of monitoring is required. This project will pilot a monitoring system for two years. It is intended that a voluntary arrangement should be entered into with those fisheries obliged to use pingers to take observers onboard. If, in the light of experiences, the level of cover provided by a voluntary arrangement is deemed inadequate, legal measures can be considered in future to ensure that adequate monitoring could be carried out. These observers would not be involved in the enforcement of any fisheries-related regulations. Fishing vessel compliance with legislation setting any mandatory use of pingers would be monitored separately as part of the normal activity of the UK inspection authorities.
Goals:
•Continue monitoring the levels of bycatch in certain fisheries, gear types and areas and extrapolate the data to reflect actual fishery effort to give an indication of the scale of overall bycatch levels, with an indication of the confidence limits.
•Help identify any specific fisheries and gear types causing bycatch, we have sought Ministerial approval and varied the monitoring areas outside of the regulations stipulations to do this.
•Include a 12 month break clause to allow us to alter this contract based on shifting bycatch issues and potential amendments to European and domestic policy and legislation.
•Three months of monitoring (Jan-March) will have been undertaken by the previous contractor and the data will need to be passed over should a new contractor be appointed.
Keywords
Gear technology;
Cetaceans;
Environmental impact;
Bycatch;
Fishing technology;
Marine Region
13
Northern North Sea (27.IVa)
8
Bristol Channel (27.VIIf)
6
Central North Sea (27.IVb)
26
Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland (27.VIa)
9
Western English Channel (27.VIIe)
10
Celtic Sea North (27.VIIg)
5
Southern North Sea (27.IVc)
4
Eastern English Channel (27.VIId)
7
Irish Sea (27.VIIa)
9
Marine Region Map
