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Part of the Seafood 2040 aquaculture strategy for England - this full report includes a review of the English aquaculture landscape and current barriers to growth, along with the rationale and methodology behind the strategy.

The aim of the project was to demonstrate an alternative fishing method commonly known as Outrigger trawling. This involved replacing the heavy beam trawls which are normally towed by the vessel with two demersal trawls, each trawl spread with its own set of trawl doors and towed from the derricks. This change alone will have a significant impact on bottom and gear drag. The steady increase in fuel prices was another driver for the fleet to look at alternatives to beam trawling. By adopting the outrigger fishing method vessels can reduce their fuel consumption enabling increased profitability and a reduction in environmental impact.

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

During the past decade, total squid landings from the NE Atlantic ranged from 10,000– 18,000 t. The bulk of European catches were landed by French, Portuguese, Spanish and UK fleets. Loligo forbesi is the most frequently caught species in UK waters, and forms the basis of significant by-catch fisheries, with annual landings as high as 3,500 t. A significant proportion (5–70%) of the total Scottish squid landings are caught in the Moray Firth, where a seasonal, directed fishery operates during summer-autumn. The size of the fleet directly involved in this fishery has ranged from 20–65 vessels in recent years. Many of the fishing crews target squid for several weeks, when large numbers of small squid recruit to the fishery.