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Kingfisher Talking Points - January 2020

This interim report covers progress against two goals determined by Seafood 2040 and how the programme is being taken forward.

he Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Seafish and the Northern Ireland (NI) Scallop Association have recently completed a report investigating the optimal areas for scallop reseeding in the Irish Sea. This work was commissioned due to an increase in exploitation of scallops around the NI coastline and a desire by industry to be proactive in enhancing long-term sustainability of stocks. Sites selected through industry engagement as proposed reseeding sites were examined by AFBI scientists to ensure that they met the characteristics required for successful settlement of scallops. Seabed habitat maps were combined to provide information for the full sea area under consideration. Scallop catches from the annual AFBI scallop survey were mapped with the full habitat map to determine the areas where scallops were present and identify the underlying habitat type. This allowed a map to be created which showed the suitable habitat for adult scallops within NI waters. All of the proposed reseeding sites fell within areas of suitable habitat. To examine further characteristics of the proposed sites, a combination of measured and modelled data was used. Salinity, food availability, bed stress (natural physical disturbance of the seabed by wave action and/or tidal currents), particulate inorganic matter, suspended particulate matter, abundance of predators, spawning season, larval dispersal and hydrodynamic models were all considered. The above information was presented to the project steering group, and using the data provided, the steering group selected the most suitable sites for reseeding from the original 13 proposed sites. Three reseeding sites (Whitehead, Drumfad Bay and South Bay) have initially been proposed, with a fourth, Roaring Rock, having potential for any future reseeding plans. The NI Scallop Association will now present the results of this work to DAERA to ask for regulation to assist in the protection of these new areas through a ban on mobile fishing gear.

The large scale growth in salmon production in the UK has resulted in most available near shore finfish sites being used up for finfish farming. The development of offshore sites or technology improvements alone hold the key for the sustained growth of the UK aquaculture industry. The offshore wind industry has been rapidly expanding in the UK and will occupy major amount of coastal offshore space when zoning plans are developed. The prospects for using the offshore wind farm areas for aquaculture production (finfish and other species) has the potential to open up new sites for finfish farming in the UK. This work examined the suitability of aquaculture in offshore wind farms from the point of view of all the stakeholders involved.

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.

Throughout much of the UK, the native oyster remains in a severely depleted state in the wild, having suffered for two centuries with over-exploitation, pests, disease, pollution and harsh winters. The native oyster is a Biodiversity Action Plan Species. Native oyster beds can form a flourishing part of the ecosystem, with many associated species. A significant driver for restoration of native oyster beds should therefore be re-creating and conserving an ecological resource in order to re-establish a biotope that was once common and covered wide areas of the UK inshore seabed.

This is a response to Defra's consultation on a marine planning system for England of 21 July 2010. The consultation papers are available here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-planning/index.htm

By Tegen Mor Fisheries Consultants

The Annual Report provides a detailed Management Commentary and financial review of the activities undertaken by Seafish during 2012/2013 and information on future developments.

The Seafish Annual Plan for 2021-2022 outlines our priorities, goals and work programme for the year.

The Seafish Delivery Report 2016 - 2017 looks back at performance against KPIs in the 2016- 2017 Annual Plan and includes case studies and key achievements.

The Annual Report provides a detailed Management Commentary and financial review of the activities undertaken by Seafish during 2022/2023 and information on future developments.