Fisheries Area Closures (Juvenile and Real Time)
This dataset provides the spatial extent of Real time closures (RTC) and Juvenile closures from April 2010 to December 2016. The purpose of RTCs was to ensure sufficient efforts were made to reduce cod mortality. Closures were selected from those areas with the highest cod catch rate (per hour), based on data from historical landings per unit effort (LPUE) over the previous 4 years. In September 2009 the European Community and Norway agreed to implement an RTC scheme in the North Sea and Skagerrak for the protection of juvenile cod, haddock, whiting and saithe. The Juvenile closures scheme is independent of the UK RTC scheme in place for cod. Incursions are enforced directly through the European legislation (Commission Regulation 724/2009). For the purposes of completeness the Juvenile closures have been included in this dataset. Juvenile closures are still in place. There will be no Real time closures in 2017, however an improved scheme may be introduced at a later date.
dataset
http://environment.data.gov.uk/ds/catalogue/#/32237541ec5c3cea19c66ed783abbf8c
description: A link to the web service or dataset
http://environment.data.gov.uk/ds/catalogue/index.jsp#/catalogue
description: A link to the general host site
MMO1500037
eng
urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4258
biota
revision
2008-01-06
revision
2009-11-16
creation
2011-02-16
-1.4000
6.7500
56.0000
49.7500
revision
2010-01-01
unknown
2010-04-01
2016-12-31
publication
2015-11-23
revision
2017-02-06
quarterly
UK Fishing vessels fishing in the North Sea are subject to the Cod Recovery Zone (CRZ). The number of days vessels are able to fish in the CRZ is limited by the EU. The UK gains extra days by showing they have a Real Time Closure scheme (RTC) that reduces Cod mortality. The RTC scheme was created in 2008. A condition of the fishing licence is that the vessels must have a CRZ permit to be present in the CRZ, to keep a permit vessels must abide by the scheme rules - of which not fishing in RTCs is an element. Therefore vessels that are found to have fished in an RTC may be liable for criminal prosecution by fishing without the authority of a licence. The closures may be replaced by an RTC triggered by live sampling if an alternative closure is identified. When inshore closures reopen after 14 days, additional closures may be established mid-month to replace these. Where a live sampling RTC is activated towards the end of a month, this may be incorporated into the following months closures (rather than reopening after 21 days). To produce the dataset, every month landings data from the previous four years are cross referenced against vessel monitoring system (VMS) data to identify areas of high cod abundance. Scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) carry out the initial review of the logbook data of all catches and cross reference them with VMS data to identify the areas of highest cod abundance. This data is then reviewed by MMO Operations, and the 9 highest areas of abundance, which are within the bounds of UK authority are chosen as proposed closure. The proposed closures are then sent to the fishing industry stakeholders for consultation and the final areas are then confirmed by Operations. Where possible in the North Sea these are evenly distributed between ICES IVb (west) ICES IVb (east) and ICES IVc. English administered vessels using regulated gears in the Cod Recovery Zone (CRZ) are subject to the cod recovery plan Days at Sea Scheme, which we administer, and they receive an enhanced basic effort allocation in recognition of the RTC scheme. UK vessels found fishing within a RTC or seasonal closure using a regulated gear may be liable for criminal prosecution. Seasonal Closures: In consultation with scientists and industry representatives, a number of seasonal closures have also been introduced in recognised spawning areas. In 2011, two seasonal closures have been identified to protect cod spawning grounds from 1 January to 30 April 2011. Juvenile Closures: Closures shall only be determined by live sampling at sea by an authorised inspector. Where it is estimated that 200 kg of any mixture of cod, haddock, whiting and saithe are present in the haul, a sample shall be taken. A representative sample (start, middle and end of haul) of at least 200 kg shall be weighed and measured. Fish below the following sizes shall be regarded as juveniles: cod 35 cm, haddock 30 cm, whiting 27 cm and saithe 35 cm. Juvenile closure trigger levels If 10 per cent of the sample (by weight) are juveniles, then a closure trigger is activated. Or if the total quantity of cod in the sample exceeds 75 per cent, then the trigger level shall be 7.5 per cent juveniles (by weight). The closed area shall be 50 square nautical miles and closed to fishing for 21 days. The area will automatically reopen at midnight (UTC) when the period has expired. Under the EU juvenile real time closures scheme there is no limit to the number of closures at any one time within the North Sea. The RTC closures are of the following size: Offshore (outside 12 nautical miles) RTCs shall be approximately 64 square nautical miles (usually a 7.5 x 8.5 nautical mile square) and closed for the calendar month. Inshore (within 0 to 12 nautical miles) RTCs shall be approximately 23 square nautical miles (usually a 6.5 x 3.5 nautical mile square) and closed for 14 days. The confirmed areas are digitised within ArcGIS 9.3 using the coordinates provided by MMO Operations, once created the dataset is then included in the corporate Real Time and Juvenile Closures dataset.
Open Government Licence. Acknowledgement of Marine Management Organisation as source required.
No limitations on access, however copyright should be used at all times.
Data/GIS Officer
Marine Management Organisation
originator
Data/GIS Officer
Marine Management Organisation
custodian
Data/GIS Officer
Marine Management Organisation
pointOfContact
2017-02-08