Question reference: S1W-17499
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 August 2001
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Current status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 10 September 2001
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what areas fisheries research vessels have been working in each week since 1 January 2001 and what assessments of fish stocks have been made as a result of such research.
Answer
I have asked Professor Hawkins, Chief Executive of Fisheries Research Services to respond. His response is as follows:A summary of the activities of the two fisheries research vessels, Scotia and Clupea, is provided in the table. The output from the stock survey cruises, when combined with additional information from sampling at fish markets and surveys of discards on commercial vessels, provides the Scottish input to internationally co-ordinated assessment work by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas. Recent assessments of particular relevance to Scotland are:
Herring Assessment Working Group for the Area South of 62ºN 13-22 March 2001Working Group on Nephrops Stocks 3-11 April 2001Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea 19-28 June 2001and SkagerrakWorking Group on the Assessment of Northern Shelf Demersal Stocks 14-23 August 2001
| Date | Area | Task |
| Scotia | ||
| 5-14 January | Firth of Forth, Firth of Tay, Moray Firth, Minches, Firth of Clyde, Solway Firth | Sampling of water, bottom sediments and fish to assess the biological effects of pollutants |
| 18 January - 6 February | North Sea - Firth of Forth to Shetland | International trawling survey to assess the brood strengths of juvenile demersal fish stocks |
| 7 - 24 February | N/A | Annual refit |
| 25 February - 13 March | North coast of Scotland, Minches, Outer Hebrides to 10° degrees W., North West of Ireland, Irish Sea | International trawling survey to assess the brood strength of juvenile demersal fish stocks. |
| 17-28 March | Statfjord oilfield, site midway between Shetland & Norway, site in German Bight, two sites between German Bight and Aberdeen. | Sampling of water, plankton and fish, to assess the biological effects of pollutants. |
| 2-6 April | Aberdeen Bay, Moray Firth, North Coast of Scotland | Development of new sampling equipment, calibration of sonar systems. |
| 10 April - 1 May | North of Scotland, Hebrides, West of Ireland, Celtic Sea | International triennial mackerel egg survey --aimed at providing a spawning stock estimate for mackerel. |
| 4-18 May | Northern North Sea, Faroe-Shetland Channel | Hydrographic surveys and servicing of current meter/tide gauge moorings to investigate ocean climate change. |
| 19-23 May | Firth of Forth, Moray Firth, East of Orkney | Sampling of fish for evidence of disease and to assess the biological effects of hydrocarbons. |
| 7-29 June | Fladen, Noup, North Minch | Estimation of the distribution and abundance of Nephrops and to derive stock assessments for these areas. |
| 3-23 July | North of Scotland, Hebrides, West of Ireland, Celtic Sea | International triennial mackerel egg survey --aimed at providing a spawning stock estimate for mackerel. |
| 3-23 July | North western North Sea from the Moray Firth to Shetland - excluding Norwegian and Faroese waters | International herring acoustic and fishing survey - aimed at providing an estimate of herring stock size in this area. |
| 26 July | Peterhead | Open day on vessel for fishermen and the general public. |
| 27 July - 19 August | North Sea from 54 - 61 degrees North | International trawling survey to provide an index of abundance of demersal fish stocks. |
| Clupea | ||
| Date | Area | Task |
| 8-25 January | N/A | Annual Refit |
| 26 January - 8 February | Loch Nevis, Loch Hourn, Loch Duich, Loch Alsh, Loch Kishorn | Fishing, acoustic, plankton and grab surveys to establish the abundance and distribution of fish, shellfish and plankton in these areas. |
| 14-27 February | Shetland | Scallop fishing survey to provide an estimate of scallop abundance and distribution for stock assessment purposes. |
| 5-16 March | Wee Bankie, Marr Bank, Berwick Bank - off the Firth of Forth | Sandeel abundance and relating the distribution to the characteristics of the sea bed sediments and hydrography of the area. |
| 2-11 April | Loch Torridon, Loch Duich, Loch Sunart | Chemical, hydrographic and sealice surveys to provide information on the environmental impact of salmon farms. |
| 25 April - 11 May | Clyde, North Channel, Minches, Shetland, Moray Firth | Sampling of sewage sludge and other dump sites around Scotland for chemical and microbial analysis and to assess the environmental impact of these sites. |
| 22 May - 11 June | Wee Bankie, Marr Bank, Berwick Bank areas - off the Firth of Forth | Sandeel abundance, distribution and population age structure, examining the relationship between sandeels and other fish species present. |
| 15 June - 2 July | Scottish coast from Firth of Forth to Orkney | Scallop fishing survey to provide an estimate of scallop abundance and distribution for stock assessment purposes. |
| 6-20 July | Loch Torridon, Loch Ainort, Loch Duich | Chemical, hydrographic and sealice surveys to provide information on the environmental impact of salmon farms. |
| 7-22 August | Shetland | To carry out a sandeel abundance survey for stock assessment purposes. |