Newly published research details how remote fisheries closures were designed to protect Rockall Bank, a deep water coral habitat in Northwest Scotland. The research shows how, for the first time, scientific records, fishers’ knowledge and surveillance data on fishing activity have been combined to effectively select a Marine Protected Area.
The report considers that each of these sources have their advantages and disadvantages. Scientific records may be very old, and historical records of coral occurrence may now be inaccurate. In contrast, fishers’ knowledge is recent and therefore may be more believable to the fishing industry, but may not be complete or fully accurate. Satellite Vessel Monitoring System records showing the location of trawling activity are generally comprehensive and unbiased, but there are several reasons for an area of the sea bed to remain unfished, not withstanding the presence of net-damaged corals, other seabed obstruction may exist or it may be too deep for trawling to take place.
Report author, Jason Hall Spencer of the University of Plymouth said; “These sources could not necessarily be relied upon individually to identify suitable closure areas, but when used together, they provide a powerful tool to indicating were such closed areas should be established.”
Rockall Bank’s coral habitat was closed to trawling in 2007 following this successful approach and new tranche of deep water coral closures has now been proposed within the Irish EEZ using the same effective ‘combination’ approach.
The research published in the latest edition of Marine Ecology Process Series was carried out by the University of Plymouth, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, WWF, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and ICES Working Group on Deep-water Ecology.
Jason-Hall Spencer’s leading research in this area has since seen him appointed to the national Marine Protected Area (MPA) Science Advisory Panel.
ENDS
Scientists pioneer new way to select MPAs
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