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This report reviews the impacts of underwater noise, vibration, and electro-magnetic fields generated by marine renewable energy devices on the behaviour, development and physiology of UK commercial crustacean species.

The first aim of this project was to examine and gain a better understanding of the aggressive behaviour of the animals. Aggressive behaviour, causing injury or death, is thought to be a major obstacle in keeping animals in communal tanks. It was found that the Norway lobsters are able to build a dominance hierarchy, which reduces overall aggression in communal tanks. Moreover, it was found that pheromones are necessary for establishing dominance. Follow up studies will aim to gain a better understanding of the role of aggression in natural behaviour including territoriality,resource competition and mate choice. The second aim is to develop economic holding conditions for the animals. Holding animals in communal tanks is thought to be easier to manage - in terms of feeding and maintaining good water quality - than keeping them separately. Ongoing experiments comparing holding conditions indicate that there seems to be no difference in survival rate between individual and communal holding conditions. The third aim is to decide upon the best methods of collecting eggs and to hatch them. This will be researched in the next two years. Eggs will be collected by catching berried females. Holding conditions will be tested to maximize the hatching rate of the four larval stages in the lab. The results of the study will improve the understanding of the species which could help drive better stock management. In addition, it could support the fishing industry by providing sustainability and reducing the influence of natural barriers to fishing, such as weather conditions.

Our Annual Plan is taken from our 2015-18 Corporate Plan and details the programmes of work we will deliver in 2017/18 . The Plan sets out the costs associated with our work programmes as well as our Key Performance Indicators for the year.

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.

Whilst these guidelines contain helpful technical information some of the legislative content may now be out of date.

This 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.

Manual for developing and operating Seafish standard design for shellfish purification system: Large Scale Multi Layer System

This report describes a study of the environmental effects of razorfish dredging within a SAC (Special Area of Conservation) under the Habitats directive. The study includes instrumentation, environmental modeling and was used as an appropriate assessment under for the experimental fishery for this species in The Wash.

Final minutes of the Common Language Group meeting held in London on 2 March 2017.

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 North Eastern IFCA.

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.

These pages contain technical advice on the cultivation of mussels on ropes. They are complimented by an economic modelling tool that enables you to explore how a potential rope-grown mussel business might work. Key words: Aquaculture; Mussel; Scallop; Oyster; Clam; Halibut; Turbot; Cod; Manila; Pacific; Hyperbook; Economic; Model; cultivation; farming; King; Queen; algae; trestle, rope; cage; seabed; suspended; hatchery; nursery; production;