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There is a general governmental commitment in the UK to prioritising social and economic aspects of fisheries within policy-making relating to the marine environment. This is embodied by various recent strategy documents, such as Net Benefits, Safeguarding Our Seas and A Sea Change: the Marine Bill. The UK government has variously proposed the ecosystem approach, integrated coastal zone management, regional and social policy, the development of social and economic objectives, data provision, impact assessments, stakeholder involvement, and ‘marine conservation zones’ as means of addressing the socio-economic deficit in inshore fisheries management.

he Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Seafish and the Northern Ireland (NI) Scallop Association have recently completed a report investigating the optimal areas for scallop reseeding in the Irish Sea. This work was commissioned due to an increase in exploitation of scallops around the NI coastline and a desire by industry to be proactive in enhancing long-term sustainability of stocks. Sites selected through industry engagement as proposed reseeding sites were examined by AFBI scientists to ensure that they met the characteristics required for successful settlement of scallops. Seabed habitat maps were combined to provide information for the full sea area under consideration. Scallop catches from the annual AFBI scallop survey were mapped with the full habitat map to determine the areas where scallops were present and identify the underlying habitat type. This allowed a map to be created which showed the suitable habitat for adult scallops within NI waters. All of the proposed reseeding sites fell within areas of suitable habitat. To examine further characteristics of the proposed sites, a combination of measured and modelled data was used. Salinity, food availability, bed stress (natural physical disturbance of the seabed by wave action and/or tidal currents), particulate inorganic matter, suspended particulate matter, abundance of predators, spawning season, larval dispersal and hydrodynamic models were all considered. The above information was presented to the project steering group, and using the data provided, the steering group selected the most suitable sites for reseeding from the original 13 proposed sites. Three reseeding sites (Whitehead, Drumfad Bay and South Bay) have initially been proposed, with a fourth, Roaring Rock, having potential for any future reseeding plans. The NI Scallop Association will now present the results of this work to DAERA to ask for regulation to assist in the protection of these new areas through a ban on mobile fishing gear.

The Annual Report provides a detailed Management Commentary and financial review of the activities undertaken by Seafish during 2011/2012 and information on future developments.

Summary of June and October 2013 ICES advice for cod, Dover sole, haddock, hake, herring, ling, mackerel, megrim, monkfish, nephrops, plaice, saithe and whiting. Also limited advice for brill, dab, flounder, grey gurnard, lemon sole, pollack, red gurnard, striped red mullet and turbot.

The 2006 economic survey of the UK fishing fleet is the most recent nationwide costs and earnings survey of the sector and continues to build upon the work carried out by the Seafish Economics team in 2005. This study presents the latest economic information on up to 35 segments of the commercially active UK fishing fleet. Survey results suggest that despite increases in vessel earnings across a number of segments, rising operating costs and reduced fishing opportunities meant that achieving profitability was still a major challenge for most of the UK fishing fleet in 2006.

A bioeconomic model has been developed by Seafish to support high quality analysis of the UK fishing industry. The model provides Seafish with an impact assessment tool to analyse the potential impact of policy measures on the UK fishing fleet, with a particular focus on the potential effect of the landing obligation. The purpose of this report is to present findings from the model developed by Seafish. Several simulations are presented in the report to evaluate the impacts of new policy on UK demersal fleets.

Aquaculture is already playing a major part in supplying seafood into the European market - some 420,000 tonnes per annum out of a fleet landing total of c.6,700,000 tonnes, or 6-7% of the total by weight. If all the member states of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers are included, the tonnage rises to some 1,000,000 tonnes per annum, with a total value of £1,984 million in 1999 - compared, for example, with a combined total first sale value of fisheries landings of some $452 million in the UK and Ireland.

These pages contain technical advice on the cultivation of halibut. They are complimented by economic modelling tools that enable you to explore how a potential halibut cultivation business might work. There are models for the hatchery, nursery, onshore and cage-based on-growing aspects of farming. Key words: Aquaculture; Mussel; Scallop; Oyster; Clam; Halibut; Turbot; Cod; Manila; Pacific; Hyperbook; Economic; Model; cultivation; farming; King; Queen; algae; trestle, rope; cage; seabed; suspended; hatchery; nursery; production;

The mussel culture industry is one of the largest and most valuable fisheries in the UK representing almost 90% of total shellfish aquaculture production by weight in England and Wales with a value of around £14 million per year. Continuing productivity is significantly dependant on the movement of mussel seed from wild settlement areas to cultivation areas. Unfortunately, these shellfish movements can also spread pests such as the non-native slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) which has the potential to have a devastating effect on both fisheries and marine eco-systems as it out-competes other species for food and space as well as depositing pseudo-faeces that builds up to create cohesive ‘muds’. An accidental introduction of slipper limpets into the major UK mussel culture area of the Menai Straits, North Wales has recently occurred following a movement of mussel seed contaminated with slipper limpets from the English Channel. This led to urgent remedial action having to be taken by industry which involved removing the infested mussel seed and then smothering of any remaining slipper limpets with new slipper limpet free seed. There is a need therefore for the industry to self regulate and minimise risks in such transfers. Failure to do so will otherwise result in measures being imposed on industry in this respect. Positive action is now currently being undertaken in some regions as can be seen by the development of a Code of Good Practise by the Bangor Mussel Producers.

Whilst these guidelines contain helpful technical information some of the legislative content may now be out of date.