A new agreement aims to maximise the benefits on thecollection and analysis of scientific data on pelagic stocks.
The partnership agreement between the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA) and Shetland UHI wants to enhance co-operation between the fishing industry and scientists.
Over the next five years, the MoU outlines how the organisations will work together to ensure a sustainable future for the industry by participating in a range of programmes, including self-sampling.
”Fishing skippers tend to keep diaries detailing where and when they fished and what they caught. This is currently unearthed data, and the knowledge it contains on changes in pelagic stocks and fisheries is likely to be useful for fishermen and scientists alike,” said Dr Steven Mackinson, chief scientific officer for SPFA.
”It will complement contemporary data collected under the self-sampling programme and provide fishermen with means to bring their data to life so they can better track and interpret changes in catching patterns. Having a long history of data from across the fleet will be scientifically valuable to research on changes in the North Atlantic pelagic ecosystem.”
Far-reaching
The scope of the MoU is far-reaching and includes sustaining the pelagic self-sampling programme over the long-term so that it can routinely deliver scientific data relevant to the assessment and management of pelagic stocks.
Over the medium term of the agreement, research objectives include the development of specific collaborations on skills and methods for involving industry vessels in acoustic assessment of pelagic stocks.
Historical data analysis is another area that will be investigated, where through working with pelagic skippers, it is hoped to collate, digitise and map diaries and electronic records of fishing activity.
Shetland UHI was formed on 1st August 2021 from the merger of Shetland College, Train Shetland and NAFC Marine Centre.
