Finfish

We will collaborate with the Welsh fishing industry in participatory research to collect baseline data on the data deficient skate and ray fishery and to continue data collection on the sea bass fishery. These data will contribute to a scientific evidence base for the development of management plans to ensure sustainable exploitation.

Work to be undertaken includes:

• Fishers knowledge gathering (recreational, commercial and charter industry) to map skate and ray distribution, fishing effort and other local ecological knowledge including identification of possible nursery areas
• Surveys to gather population data
• Identification of non-terminal indicators of maturity
• Bass population monitoring – continuation of programme developed under a previous project funded through European Fisheries Fund (EFF)
• Analysis of bass movement and stock mixing
• In collaboration with the BlueFish project, continuation of a previous project funded through European Fisheries Fund (EFF) research into stable isotope and trace element analysis of scales to elucidate stock structure and movement