Identification

Title

2014 - 2015 Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Sustainable razor clam fishery 2013/14 - Fisheries Science Partnership

Alternative title(s)

FSP Sustainable razor clam fishery

Abstract

The fishing vessel *Harmoni * (MR7) was chartered to carry out experimental electro-fishing for razor clams. The aim of the survey was to establish whether a commercial fishery with this gear was viable commercially and environmentally sustainable. There was initially a period of gear design and construction which, together with some unavailability of either the vessel of Cefas staff, delayed the project until the winter of 2013/14. The weather was exceptionally poor and delayed the start of work such that funding had to be carried forward into the next financial year. Fieldwork commenced in May at a site off Southport, but despite the experimental gear deploying and working as envisaged, no razor clams were caught. It was decided that a new fishing area should be tried and at the suggestion of the skipper, a diving company was engaged to survey positions where catches had been made previously. One position was found to have a significant density of razor clams and this was chosen as a target for the next trip. Unfortunately this position was in too shallow water for *Harmoni * to reach and deploying the gear a short distance to seaward produced no catch. After further tows through the area which also proved barren, the project was abandoned.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/18324/

function: order

Unique resource identifier

code

CEFASe64c8df1-96bd-4671-bb33-0caec45b93e2

codeSpace

http://www.cefas.co.uk/

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

authority code

OGP

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2011-03-25

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-6

East bounding longitude

-3

North bounding latitude

55.5

South bounding latitude

53.25

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-05-18

code identifying the extent

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2014-05-18T00:00:00.000Z

End position

2015-02-28T00:00:00.000Z

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2017-02-14

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Methods The gear The razor clams respond to electrical pulses by vacating their burrows allowing them to be collected by the cage. The aim was to optimise the towing speed, voltage, pulse frequency and the angle of the blade at the front of the collection cage both in terms of the catching efficiency of the gear for the target species and minimising environmental impact. A camera was to be deployed on the collection cage to monitor the action of the sledge on the seabed and observe the reaction of benthic organisms to the electric pulses.

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Public data (Crown Copyright) - Open Government Licence Terms and Conditions apply

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Public data (Crown Copyright) - Open Government Licence Terms and Conditions apply

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2017-02-14T10:27:00

Metadata language