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Gear database resource: Scottish Industry Science Partnership Review of technical measures for Scottish mixed demersal fisheries

This paper describes the measures that have been taken and the plans for the near future to keep the beam trawl fishery profitable in the short to medium term.

Sodium metabisulphite has been used in the UK fishing industry for many years to control the effects of melanotic blackening in prawns (Nephrops norvegicus). Recent requirements for allergen labelling and court cases resulting from high levels of sulphite residue have prompted interest to secure alternative treatments to control melanosis. Further motivation has come from the highly corrosive nature of sodium metabisulphite. This causes extensive damage to vessels and processing equipment and has serious operational health and safety issues. A number of treatments were trialled in a commercial environment to determine a viable alternative to sodium metabisulphite. Prawns were treated at sea and then assessed for shelf life and sulphite residue by processors in NE Scotland. 5 treatments were competitive with sodium metabisulphite, these include sulphite based and non sulphite based treatments. As such, vessels and factories are provided with a variety of treatment options depending on their own product requirements. Alternative sulphite based treatments exhibit reduced operational hazards and lower sulphite residues in the tail meat while selected non sulphite based treatments are classified as ‘processing aids’ and are exempt from any form of food additive labelling.

The study was managed by officials from DARD, ANIFPO including the owners of the vessels engaged in the study and AFBI who carried out scientific monitoring of the pilot fishery. With the introduction of the Irish Sea cod recovery programme and its associated temporary sea area closures, several Northern Irish fishing vessels were displaced. They were encouraged to find sustainable alternatives to complete their annual fishing plans. Amongst the fishing vessels affected were four small (under 12 metre) vessels, which had traditionally targeted cod using gill-nets. The closure effectively stopped this fishery. As a result the four vessels, like many of their larger colleagues diversified into the Nephrops fishery using trawls. However, with the increasing costs of fuel and other overheads, combined with reductions in the landed price for Nephrops, the owners of the four vessels, together with the ANIFPO, decided to investigate alternative fishing opportunities. Following internal discussion, and with DARD’s Sea Fisheries Division, an application for funding was submitted to allow sea trials in the “open Irish Sea”, to examine the practicalities of using pots/creels to catch Nephrops. While creels were used in Strangford Lough, and other similar Loughs around Scotland, the possibility of using creels in areas traditionally trawled had not been investigated.

A series of codes have been developed to advise industry of best practice when handling, storing and dispatching crustaceans. This document is a compilation of the five individual codes.

A report of the Study Group on Electrical Trawling (SGELECTRA).

Gear database resource: Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol6 No3 on effects of codend mesh size and twine number on nephrops selectivity

A report on the Study Group on Electrical Trawling (SGELECTRA).

Report of Fishing Industry Science Alliance (FISA) Project 03/13

Report on the Current State of Driftnet Fisheries in the UK.

A review and assessment of fishing gear design.

The report concerns UK seafood supply chains reliant on domestic and international wild capture seafood. It covers major impacts from key climate change drivers, from production to markets, and sets out major areas of adaptation action.