Fisheries Dependent Data

Fisheries dependant data refers to information collected as part of commercial fisheries either on a voluntary basis or as part of the licence conditions for users to access marine resources. Information recorded on fishing trips typically includes the type and dimensions of gear used, catch (i.e. quantity removed) and effort (i.e. fishing time or number of Pots deployed) and spatial fishing location. Fishery dependant data remains one of the primary methods used in the management and monitoring of global fisheries. In the Isle of Man, the quantity and quality of fisheries dependent data collected varies among sectors. We are currently focusing on bringing our more data limited static gear fisheries up to the same level of fisheries dependent data collection as our data rich mobile gear fisheries.

Examples of our approaches to fisheries dependent data collection and how these data are used include:

Daily Catch Returns via phone app (king and queen scallop fisheries)
In addition to EU data submission requirements, for each fishing trip within Isle of Man territorial waters, scallop fishers are also required to submit a detailed trip summary via a catch form designed by Bangor University. The aim is to collect finer scale, almost real-time data, which is submitted by midnight on the day of fishing via a phone app. The data is collected by species and vessel trip and includes information on the fishing ground targeted (including managed areas or sub-grounds), the type and quantity of gear used, fishing time, number of fishing tows, quantity of catch and quantity of bycatch (for specific species). This data is then used to monitor and manage the fisheries in near real-time relative to annual total allowable catch (TACs) recommended by the Scallop Management Board (SMB). In addition, a weekly data summary is provided to both the Isle of Man Government's Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Fisheries Team and the Scallop Management Board to enable in-season management of these fisheries. The fine scale nature of the data also enables management responses to be proposed on a ground-by-ground basis (i.e. in response to the data the SMB may recommend the extension of a TAC in grounds that are fishing well or the early closure of individual grounds where relevant metrics are poor).

Enhancing fishery-dependent information in data-poor static gear fisheries
Inshore static gear shellfish fisheries play an import socio-economic role across the northeast Atlantic, including within Isle of Man territorial waters. Despite this, assessment techniques remain heavily reliant on fishery dependent data, typically aggregated over large spatial scales and lacking in key environmental and biotic data. The implementation of an enhanced electronic reporting system (EERS) and gear-in–gear-out (GIGO) technology was trialled in the Isle of Man data-limited, mixed species, static gear fishery for brown crab Cancer pagurus and European lobster Homarus gammarus. EERS/GIGO systems were deployed on two commercial vessels for 12 months and collected data from 812 strings, equating to 29,826 pots, with precise geo-located landings per unit effort (LPUE) and environmental data. Cluster analysis identified spatially distinct patterns in fishing activity, corresponding to different target species. Generalised additive modelling found that water temperature had a significant and positive effect on LPUE in both species whilst inter-specific interactions (i.e. the presence of crabs in pots targeting lobster) negatively impacted LPUE of target species. The significant effect of environmental variables and inter-specific interactions demonstrate the value of understanding these interactions in order to produce robust standardized LPUE metrics. The EERS/GIGO system successfully demonstrated its application and potential to significantly enhance geospatially defined fishery dependent data collection and management in many data poor fisheries.