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27 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in Secretary of State and English waters were designated by the UK government, acting through Defra, in a first tranche in 2013, followed by a second tranche of 23 MCZs designated in 2016. Consultation of a third tranche is planned for early 2017, including potentially a number of sites of particular concern to the Northern Ireland fishing industry (Slieve Na Griddle, South Rigg and Mud Hole). Defra previously identified that these three sites, which were originally suggested through the Irish Sea Conservation Zones project, require further consideration due to their location within important fishing grounds, and that their designation “could have a significant impact on the fishing sector, particularly within Northern Ireland”. Defra has encouraged the fishing industry to develop alternative site proposals for protecting subtidal mud habitats in the Irish Sea region, and that all available options will be then be considered in the third tranche of designations (Defra, 2015). Alternative sites were proposed following stakeholder engagement in a report for Seafish by AFBI in 2015 (AFBI, 2015); this concluded that the “least worst” options in terms of potential fishery displacement, yet representing the key habitat of interest, subtidal mud, were West of Walney in the eastern Irish Sea and a new site, “Queenie Corner”, in the western Irish Sea. West of Walney was included in Tranche 2 of the MCZ designations, and this included a co-location zone with wind farms which had held up its submission in Tranche 1. It passed through consultation and was designated in January 2016. The site proposed as “Queenie Corner” in AFBI (2015) was formally proposed to Defra for consideration in October 2015, with support of both the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd. and Northern Ireland Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd. However, due to the introduction of the Welsh Fishery Zone, the site had to be re-drawn to avoid overlap with this zone, which reduced the original site area proposed. During 2014 and 2015 additional surveys were completed by AFBI aboard the RV Corystes to provide the habitat evidence required for full consideration of Queenie Corner by Defra. Seafish provided funding for processing of samples and work up of these data to evaluate the presence, extent and condition of the habitat at Queenie Corner, and compare this to similar evidence at the remaining potential sites of Slieve Na Griddle, South Rigg and Mud Hole. This work is reported here, along with a comparison of fishing effort between 2006 and 2014 over each of these sites, and also West of Walney, to provide an overview of how these sites compare in terms of potential fisheries displacement should designation occur and management measures require banning of mobile gear fisheries.

The report concerns UK seafood supply chains reliant on domestic and international wild capture seafood. It covers major impacts from key climate change drivers, from production to markets, and sets out major areas of adaptation action.

This report summarises the results of experimental work carried out as part of “Design and Trials of Electrofishing System for Razorclams – FIFG 57437 and Seafish IPF funding project C85”. The aim of the project was to design and trial methods of harvesting Ensis spp. using electrical stimulus with the intention of providing a more environmentally benign alternative to existing hydraulic and toothed dredges. The results of this study demonstrate that the effects of electrofishing gear employing relatively low DC voltage and amperage can be effectively used in the harvest of Ensis spp. without serious negative effects on the epifaunal and macrofaunal benthic community.

The SIP project output examines opportunities for aquaculture in/around enclosed marine water bodies, as well as the development of a generic design for a shellfish hatchery - the proposed Tidal Lagoon in Swansea Bay (TLSB) case study is a significant focus

The report presents economic estimates at UK, home nation and fleet segment level for the UK fishing fleet. The estimates are calculated based on samples of fishing costs and earnings gathered by Seafish as part of the 2020 Annual Fleet Economic Survey.

Final note on the Seafood Ethics Common Language Group meeting held at Friends House, London on Wednesday 14 January 2015.

This Seafish/MCCIP watching brief report considers recent advances in scientific understanding and industry experience of climate change drivers and impacts in 2020 and 2021. It includes feedback from industry stakeholders on adaptation actions.

Review of king scallop dredge designs and impacts, legislation and potential conflicts with offshore wind farms.

A Seafish/MCCIP Watching Brief report on how the seafood industry in the UK is adapting to climate change.

This report details work carried out to investigate the performance of biofuels in marine diesel engines, relative to the use of fossil petrodiesel. The scope of work ultimately included: 1) The installation of a dynamometer test facility, equipped to run diagnostic and simulated operational duty cycles on marine diesel engines.

Final minutes of the Common Language Group meeting held at Billingsgate market, London on Wednesday 5 November 2014.