Fisheries
The fisheries team support a range of research projects, data collection programmes and consultancy services. We have an excellent track record of working in partnership with industry and with other scientific partners to investigate and respond to a wide range of topics including those relating to fish biology, fishing gear design and selectivity, and the management of fisheries.
The Fisheries Science team at Shetland UHI has extensive experience in the provision of industry focused research and development projects. We work closely with industry partners to ensure that our applied research and development meets with your specific requirements. This approach is somewhat unique in that the impact of project outputs are placed above academic progression, but this still demands that the highly applied activities are robust, well managed, and impartial. An interdisciplinary approach within the department means that we can respond rapidly to requests from industry in what can be a quickly changing environment.
Shellfish Fisheries
Shellfish Fisheries
The shellfish team support one of the most studied and well managed inshore fisheries in Europe.
Our shellfish programme provides stock assessments and carries out applied research to support the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) in their decision making. To do this a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme has been carried out since 2000, and continues to produce spatially referenced fisheries data.
There are two main types of data collected to inform the stock assessments; fisheries information, which includes catch and effort data from fishermen’s logbooks; and biological data collected from observer trips on commercial vessels, by sampling at processing factories and vivier operators and through targeted survey work using our own research vessels. This data is analysed using a range of techniques in order to provide the SSMO with the best possible advice on the status of the stocks, and information relevant to their management reference points.
The scientific work carried out here has underpinned MSC accreditation for Shetlands crab and scallop fisheries, highlighting sustainability and good practice.
Research and development projects are carried out are both to inform the stock assessment and management processes, and also to support the activity of local fishermen. Some examples include:
- Investigations into the spatial variability of velvet crabs
- Brown crab tagging
- Size at maturity in the common whelk
- Investigation into the use of escape gaps in velvet crabs
Part of our work has involved collaboration with external partners (OLSPS) to develop a bespoke fisheries data management system for the SSMO to allow them real time access to all fisheries data in a way that facilitates effective fisheries management.
Demersal Fisheries
Demersal Fisheries
The fisheries team support a range of research projects, data collection programmes and consultancy services. We have an excellent track record of working in partnership with industry and with other scientific partners to investigate and respond to a wide range of topics including those relating to fish biology, fishing gear design and selectivity, and the management of fisheries.
An ongoing research theme has been addressing knowledge gaps concerning the biology of, and fisheries for species that are of commercial importance locally, but which are poorly understood and data limited. Examples include work on angler (aka monkfish), megrim, ling and lemon sole.
Our work on fishing gear has included R&D projects (e.g. whitefish jigging and fish traps) and scientific trials of fishing gear, most recently a cod escape panel. In addition to gear work with our own vessel Atlantia II we also undertake gear trials work in collaboration with commercial vessels.
Over several years we have tagged a range of fish species caught in inshore waters around Shetland. The recapture and return of tagged fish has built up a dataset to inform us about both the movement and growth.
Our Inshore Fish Survey has been undertaken since 2011 and provides an independent index of abundance and recruitment of juvenile species of commercial importance before they are large enough to be caught in standard gear.
We undertake a Port Sampling programme which provides data to Marine Scotland Science. The Shetland data contributes to the UKs obligation under the EU’s Data Collection Framework. Fish landings are sampled for length and age and this feeds into international stock assessments.
Pelagic Fisheries
Pelagic Fisheries
Scottish pelagic fisheries are predominantly for mackerel, herring and blue whiting. The pelagic fleet are large vessels (35-80m length), most are modern or have been newly built and all are technologically advanced. Pelagic trawl is the main gear and eight of the 24 UK pelagic vessels are registered in Shetland. One of the five Scottish pelagic factories is located in Shetland.
The fisheries team has a track record in providing information to support the management of pelagic fish stocks. This includes the provision of scientific sampling data to the scientific division of the Marine Scotland Directorate, Marine Scotland Science (MSS), which until recently were collected from fish landings at the pelagic factory in Lerwick.
Between 2018-2021 UHI-Shetland led a Case Study within the EU Horizon2020 project PANDORA. This funded collaboration between our fisheries team, the Scottish pelagic fishing industry (through the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, SPFA) and the Marine Scotland directorate of the Scottish government (MSS), and enabled an industry-science sampling programme to be piloted. Within the pilot programme, methods for onboard sampling and data collection were designed and developed, enabling fishing crews to sample their own catches during commercial fishing operations.
The success of the pilot led to the establishment of the Scottish Pelagic Industry-Science Data Collection Programme, in which 20 of 21 Scottish pelagic vessels voluntarily participate. The programme comprises two parts: the self-sampling scheme, in which vessel crews measure and record the length and weight of fish in the catch; and the co-sampling scheme, whereby vessel crews collect and freeze samples of fish to be brought ashore for biological sampling by scientists at the UHI Shetland and MSS laboratories. In 2022 the Marine Stewardship Council awarded the Ocean Leadership Award in recognition of the work carried out in developing and establishing the Programme. Further information on the Programme is available here.
The fisheries team continue to work with industry, government and academic organisations in further developing our pelagic workstream. Other examples of our pelagic research include assessing the carbon footprint of the Scottish pelagic fleet and identifying herring populations in Shetland waters.
Publications
Mackinson, S., Brigden, K., Craig, J., Clarke, E.D., Angus, C. & Pert, C.C. 2023. The road to incorporating Scottish pelagic industry data in science for stock assessments. Frontiers in Marine Science 10:1075345. doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1075345.
Sandison, F., Hillier, J., Hastings, A., MacDonald, P., Mouat, B. & Marshall, C.T. 2021. The environmental impacts of pelagic fish caught by Scottish vessels. Fisheries Research 236:105850. pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/the-environmental-impacts-of-pelagic-fish-caught-by-scottish-vess.
Brigden, K., Farrell, F., Fraser, S., Ayres, S., Laurenson, K., Powell, A., Riley, D., Wood, C., & Angus, C. 2023. Identification of Herring in Shetland Waters - Full Report. UHI Shetland Report. pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/identification-of-herring-in-shetland-waters-full-report.