Although Scottish fishing vessels that catch whitefish (those targeting species such as haddock, cod and monks) are known to fish widely across the northern North Sea, there are specific areas that are particularly important to them.
That is one of the findings of an analysis carried out by the NAFC Marine Centre’s Department of Marine Science and Technology. The results of the analysis are contained in a new report (available online at www.nafc.ac.uk/Fisheries-Policy-Notes.aspx) released by the Department’s Fisheries Policy Section.
Report author Dr Ian Napier explained that the analysis used data from the fishing vessel management systems (VMS), which uses satellite tracking to record the positions of fishing vessels, over the period from 2006 to 2011.
He said: The areas that were fished regularly or repeatedly within the overall range of the fleet showed up very clearly in the analysis due to the concentration of fishing activity in those areas. Not much more than half of the area was fished in any one year, and less than a quarter of the area was fished every year.
The analysis of the VMS data also showed that the level of fishing activity by Scottish whitefish vessels in the northern North Sea had declined over the period from 2006 to 2011, although there had been increases in some areas close to Shetland.
These changes are probably caused by decreases in fishing effort by Scottish fishing vessels, and changes in their fishing patterns as a result of tighter restrictions on the amount of time they can spend at sea.
Dr Napier added: Although there are hot spot’ areas in which the Scottish fleet is particularly active, other areas remain important in the overall picture of annual fishing activity. Some of these are fished when sea conditions, market prices or limits on quota species or available effort require vessels to alter their behaviour.
Dr Martin Robinson, Head of Marine Science and Technology at the Centre, added: The data from this report will be integrated within Shetland’s Marine Spatial Plan so that the interests of the industry can be considered along with others when new developments are planned.
Competition for space in the marine environment is intensifying as we gain new technologies that allow developments further offshore, and as marine protected area networks are implemented. When fishing is displaced from one area it can cause intensification in another, further increase competition and reduce the economic viability of the fleet. The provision of this report will allow a better understanding of these factors early in any planning process.
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