Scottish Inshore Fisheries Integrated Data System (SIFIDS): Work package 1 final report: Review and optimisation of shellfish data collection strategies for Scottish inshore waters

Abstract

[Extract from Executive Summary] The collection of additional data to facilitate fisheries management has been identified as a priority at the national level via the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Strategy, and at the local level in the management plans of Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups. Data collection implemented by industry offers a potentially cost effective means by which to provide additional information to enhance current stock assessment programmes, and to produce empirical indicators to inform fisheries management. The fundamental driver for data collection should be the purpose for which it is required; however, the regionalisation of fisheries management and increased, and often competing, demands, on our marine space mean that there are many potential uses for industry derived data. This report presents the findings of a single work package in the wider prototypic Scottish Inshore Fisheries Integrated Data System (SIFIDS) project; looking at ways in which inshore fisheries data collection can be improved on. The propose of this work package was to review and evaluate current inshore (shellfish) fisheries data collection and stock assessments in order to determine where it might be possible for industry derived data collection to provide a positive contribution. For the purposes of this work package the focus was limited to brown crab, lobsters, and scallops.