Identification

Title

2009 - 2009 Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Eastern Irish Sea Razor Clam Survey 2009/10 - Fisheries Science Partnership

Alternative title(s)

FSP Eastern Irish Sea razorfish

Abstract

The fishing vessel Lord Sam ll was chartered to carry out a survey of razor clam populations on the Cumbrian coast. The aim of the survey was to establish whether a commercially viable stock of razor clam existed in this area. The survey was delayed by inclement weather, but was eventually completed in February 2010. The Seafish/Cefas experimental water-jet dredge was employed north of Walney Island, but there were problems in deploying the gear safely. Those problems added to the sea-time lost through poor weather. In all, 34 dredge deployments were made, but at only 26 of these did the dredge fish successfully. Where the dredge did work well, good catches of the razor clam Ensis siliqua were taken; up to 17 kg in a 10-min haul, although the average catch was ~5kg. The razor clam caught covered a wide size range and young animals from at least two year classes were present, suggesting that successful recruitment is a regular occurrence in the population. The adult population had a modal size pf 185 mm shell length. The highest biomass in by-catches was contributed by the heart urchin Echinocardium cordatum., Several clam species, two possibly with commercial potential, were found regularly.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/639/

function: order

Unique resource identifier

code

CEFASc180d8d9-e10b-4496-ac9e-21226c4db362

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

-3.5

East bounding longitude

-3

North bounding latitude

54.5

South bounding latitude

53.75

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

2009-01-11T00:00:00.000Z

End position

2009-02-11T00:00:00.000Z

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2017-02-14

Frequency of update

011

Quality and validity

Lineage

Survey area Advice was sought from the fishing industry through the representative of the North West Fish Producers Organisation as to where the survey should be targeted. The coast between the north end of Walney Island up to Silecroft on the Cumbrian coast was cited as an area where net fishers frequently found razor clam entangled in their gear. The area lies outside any environmental designations, although it is close to the Duddon Special Area for Conservation (SAC). Gear The experimental water-jet dredge employed for this survey was initially designed for a Seafish/Cefas joint project in The Wash during 2005. Its design is based on dredges in use in razor clam fisheries in Ireland. It is 3m long and its fishing width is 0.9 m. It weighs approximately 400 kg, but an extra 180 kg was added to counter the up thrust generated by the water jets when fishing. In operation, water is pumped down a hose to the manifold at the front of the dredge and forced through nozzles directed at the seabed in front of the cage. This fluidises the sediment, allowing the front end of the dredge to dig into the seabed. The dredge is then towed slowly and the catch collected in the cage. The catch is emptied through the gate at the rear of the dredge. The vessel A tender process was carried out during July 2009. This produced only one vessel that met the criteria specified. Agreement was reached, but after the experimental dredge had been delivered to the vessel’s home port of Barrow-in-Furness the skipper of the vessel decided that his vessel could not handle the gear safely and asked to be released from the contract. Mr Benson of Kingfisher Seafoods was approached as the owner of the only local vessel considered capable of safely handling the dredge and he agreed to the charter of Lord Sam ll to carry out the survey. Lord Sam ll is 13.9 m overall length and is ideal for deploying the dredge, having an onboard pump and deck crane. The vessel is normally engaged in dredging for mussels. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">...</span>

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

2017-02-14T10:27:21

Metadata language