Fisheries independent surveys

Areas of Expertise: Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems

Service: Specialist Advice

As well as gathering information from the commercial fisheries with observers at sea and sampling landings at ports, AFBI scientists use various types of surveys to provide information on the distribution, size and age composition of fish, queenies, scallops and Nephrops.

Overview

The surveys conducted onboard the RV Corystes and other chartered vessels provide time series of relative indices of abundance (biomass trends) for important commercial stocks in the Irish Sea. The indices for young fish are particularly important for making short-term forecasts of abundance and catches. The indices are incorporated in the annual assessments of the Irish Sea fish stocks carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which provides scientific advice for managing the fisheries within the EU Common Fishery Policy.

The surveys also provide a source of samples for ancillary projects including studies on changes in reproductive potential, feeding, genetics, parasite loading and reassurance monitoring of levels of contaminants in fish.

Surveys

Examples of surveys conducted by AFBI that support the sustainability of Irish Sea fisheries and contribute to the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, as required by the European Commission are:

Trawl surveys
Acoustic surveys
Plankton surveys
Underwater TV (UWTV) surveys