A new booklet detailing information on Fish and Nephrops Stocks for 2008 has just been published by Fisheries Research Services (FRS).
The booklet, which is produced annually, provides a valuable source of up to date information that will prove a useful tool in ensuring the conservation and sustainable harvesting of fish stocks.
Aimed at the fishing industry and other marine stakeholders, the booklet covers areas such as the fish stock assessment process and how quotas are agreed.
It also outlines the way that ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) provides its fish stock management advice, including definitions of the terminology used.
The biggest section is devoted to a review of Scotland’s main commercial species, providing a vast array of the latest information on quotas, overall stock health and management advice.
According to Dr Bill Turrell, FRS Fisheries Management Programme Director, the principal aim of the booklet is to provide the fishing industry with an accurate summary of the current state of commercial fish stocks.
“The booklet contains the most up to date information available and we are keen that it has as wide a distribution as possible,” he said.
“As well as fishermen, it is used by Scottish Government officials as an information source during fisheries negotiations and by environmental NGOs. It would also interest environmentally conscious consumers wanting to make informed choices about the fish they eat.”
Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, welcomed its publication.
“Fisheries science is the cornerstone of sustainable harvesting and increasingly, fishermen are providing an input. We can modify our behaviour in the light of it and challenge it constructively when experience at sea differs from the published data. We welcome the publication and will continue to work closely with our colleagues in FRS,” he said.
The booklet – Fish and Nephrops Stocks for 2008 - has been sent to key industry representatives and is available to download from the FRS website or by contacting the FRS Marine Laboratory Library (01224 876544)/ ML_Library@marlab.ac.uk
