Marine Biodiversity Officer
Work Plan: Aims and Objectives 2005-6
1. Inshore fisheries management procedures.
Aim: to develop procedures for the identification of areas where fisheries management can be improved to enhance nature conservation and biodiversity.
Targets: to develop and agree on arrangements and procedures for management by concentrating on the following areas:
Communication
Environmental impact assessments (data requirements of CCW, NWNWSFC and the fishing community)
Criteria for fisheries management, based upon stock conditions and species/habitat sensitivity.
To feed into CCW mapping of fishery areas.
Actions:
Identify relevant contacts in CCW for the various fisheries and areas
With CCW, develop procedures and response times for the management of new developments and conflicts that arise.
Attendance at relevant marine SAC/BAP meetings and conferences
Identifying the sensitive species and habitats within the Welsh NWNWSFC District and ensuring that they are not adversely affected by fishing activities
Establishing fisheries stock conditions and potential management actions.
2. Relevant actions identified in local Habitat and Species Action Plans within the Welsh NWNWSFC District.
Modiolus modiolus - Identify any further areas at risk from fishing activities and develop protective procedures
Seagrass beds - Identify seagrass beds of particular significance and ensure that they are covered by the protected areas network.
Elasmobranchs - Assist CCW and the Shark Trust’s elasmobranch project
Commercial marine fish
Sabellaria
Small cetaceans
3. An agreed standard format for assessments of management actions required under the Habitats Directive.
a. Feed into CCW’s fisheries casework guidance project and agree an assessment procedure
4. Welsh fisheries management plans: to consider a range of actions dependent on stock conditions and fishery pressures.
An assessment of the condition and sustainability of fisheries in the NWNWSFC District and possible management measures for the following fisheries:
Cockles
Mussels
Lobsters
Scallop dredging
Crabs (edible, velvet, peeler and spider)
Prawn (Palemon)
Bass (and conflict with salmon netting)
Spurdog
The majority of these assessments will involve questioning the scientific and fishing communities and investigating the available literature. It is intended to conduct a survey of the cockle and mussel beds within the Welsh part of the NWNWSFC District and combine this with information from the local CCW SAC Officers to create a database of stock assessment, access information and vulnerable sites within the fishing areas that need to be considered. We have several years CPUE data from the lobster fishery, which may reveal some interesting and useful information to guide management decisions.
Immediate actions:
With respect to intertidal shellfish, there is a need to:
prioritise each shellfish bed for its need to be surveyed
ii. timetable the surveys