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Modification to Specification

This report will look at alternative materials and then consider design modifications for the mat.Secondly, it will investigate possible alternative materials and heat treatments for the net and finally design modifications to the net to capitalise on any advantage these materials may offer. This report should be read in conjunction with SR612_Testing Materials used in Queen Scallop dredge Construction_IPF C100

This guide looks at the interactions between protected species and fisheries, providing information on potential mitigation options.

The study covered fisheries from northwest Norway through the North Sea, English Channel/la Manche, Cantabrian Sea and Algarve to the French Mediterranean. It was carried out as a series of tasks. Task 1, preparation, involved reviewing each partner’s national fisheries and establishing liaison groups of fishermen and other industry members; Task 2, quantifying lost gear, required the partners to interview fishermen to establish their experiences of gear loss and then the survey the areas where losses were reported; Task 3, physical evolution, started with the retrieval of ‘naturally lost’ gears and then moved on to a series of exercises simulating gear loss and monitoring how the ‘lost’ gears changed over time; Task 4, ecosystem impacts, involved interpreting catch data from the experimental gears, raising the data to métier level and comparing the results to targeted commercial catches; Task 5, mitigating measures, established a sub-group to look at the ways in which gear loss is treated elsewhere, matched those approaches to the European fisheries and assessed the likely benefits of alternate strategies; Task 6, ran throughout the project and involved industry liaison, reporting and other dissemination. The work required a relatively high level of industry liaison. In practical terms this meant that each national partner set up a national advisory group (NAG) to guide the work and to ensure that the sea trials and recommendations were representative and realistic. The NAGs were mainly made up of experienced skippers but also included net riggers and other professionals as appropriate. This report, wherever possible, follows the sequence of tasks described above.

The report provides an assessment of the potential for open ocean, offshore finfish aquaculture in UK waters using candidate species which would have similar growth and performance characteristics to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)and with due reference to other potential species candidates.

Since 1987 the Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) fleet has towed double rigs (two nets). Prior to this most trawlers towed quad rig (four nets). To improve economic efficiency in the fishery there is great interest to again allow the use of quad rig.

On 6th March 2008 representatives from SeaFISH and the University of Exeter met to discuss testing of fuel economy enhancement technologies at the CSM dynamometer test cell facility. These discussions resulted in an order for testing of various technologies to determine their effectiveness. The proposed technologies were varied in nature, ranging from the use of permanent and electromagnets installed on fuel lines to performance exhaust systems and engine lubricant conditioners. For each of these technologies, engine performance and fuel consumption tests were undertaken once without the technology deployed, then once with the technology installed. The results from the two tests were compared.

This report provides a national strategic overview of the findings and recommendations 2. provided in the 9 IFCA specific Strategic Sustainability Reviews which were the primary focus of Stage 3 of Project Inshore. In addition, the national overview report provides the opportunity to highlight those stocks which straddle the inshore boundary (6nm) and have therefore not been the focus of the IFCA specific reports.

This report presents stage 3 of Project Inshore where findings of stage 1’s data gathering on fisheries within each IFCA and the results of stage 2’s MSC pre-assessment conducted for fisheries around England’s coast (involving over 400 different species, stock and gear combinations) are considered to provide a Strategic Sustainability Review tailored to the Southern IFCA.

The potential impact of wild Pacific oysters on local biodiversity is being raised as an issue that has to be considered in environmental assessments of both new farms and changes to practices by existing farms where they occur in wildlife protected areas. A FIFG-funded project has been carried out by Seafish which focuses on Pacific oyster cultivation in and around European Marine Sites. Working closely with industry and statutory nature conservation agencies, relevant background information was collated (Development of a Pacific oyster aquaculture protocol for the UK - Technical Reportand a protocol proposed (Development of a Pacific oyster aquaculture protocol for the UK - Protocol template. Where there could be an impact on protected wildlife and/or marine habitats, husbandry and management techniques have been proposed to mitigate or eliminate any potential impacts. The project complements the ‘Memorandum of Understanding for Appropriate Assessments in European Marine Sites’ that was agreed between the SAGB and Natural England.