Acronym NA
Category
Fisheries
Title Spatial and temporal trends in discarding practices of the Irish sea demersal trawl fishery: application in discard mitigation plans 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 Andrew Jackson Coordinator email a.jackson@tcd.ie
Coordinator institution
TCD - Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2008 End year 2012 Funding (€) € 105,000 Website NA Summary To quantify the spatial and temporal scale of discarding in the Irish Sea, describe the principal causes, and provide a structured framework to compare and contrast various management options to mitigate discards through a range of technical conservation measures. This project will input to the consideration of appropriate discard management plans by provision of a structured evaluation framework.
Spatial and Temporal Discard Mapping To map spatial and temporal trends in Irish Sea discard patterns using data collected under the auspices of the Irish Sea Enhanced Data Collection Programme; current DCR programmes and tacit fisher's knowledge. This will provide a detailed picture of discarding practices by area and season. Motivations to discard Discards occur for a variety of reasons, including lack of marketing opportunities, minimum landing size and quota restrictions, or when catch regulations are not reflective of species mix and abundance. To select appropriate measures to reduce discards it is first necessary to identify why they occur as this will largely determine which mitigation measure is the most appropriate. Identification of Candidate Mitigation Methods Reducing discards can be achieved through the application of a range of tools. These are broadly split into measures that regulate the type of fishing gear used or the areas where fishing is permitted. Modifications to fishing trawls can make them more selective and results from experimental trials can be used to determine the overall stock impact. Use of closed areas (permanent or seasonal) can limit the capture of juveniles but can result in redistribution of fishing effort; by comparing and contrasting these measures in a modelling framework it is possible to quantify their relative impact. Modelling the effect and impact To ascertain the relative effectiveness of technical measures such as trawl modifications and closed areas a modelling framework that can provide information on the likely impacts on discard rates and commercial stocks by comparing and contrasting the effect of potential management options is needed. Some consideration will be given to the impact on fishers' behaviour and profitability will be considered, as this is viewed as a key element of successfully implementing discard mitigation plans.
Keywords
Trawling;
Fisheries management;
Environmental impact;
Discard;
Marine Region
26
Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland (27.VIa)
7
Irish Sea (27.VIIa)
29
West of Ireland (27.VIIb)
31
Southwest of Ireland-East (27.VIIj)
10
Celtic Sea North (27.VIIg)
5
Marine Region Map
