Project 37318 - UK Seafood Fund – Science & Innovation Pillar - Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP Part B Round 4 - Procurement)

Mixed Fisheries, Selectivity and Environmental Impacts of Fishing (Lot 2):

The main UK fisheries catch a mix of commercial species and stocks. A key challenge remains in exploiting the fishing opportunities from healthy commercial stocks whilst simultaneously protecting vulnerable stocks and other protected marine species and habitats. There is a need to identify and develop new technical measures in selectivity that significantly reduce environmental impacts, bycatches and discards whilst maintaining fishing opportunities within advised limits. The UK remains fully committed to ending the wasteful discarding of fish and minimising catches of sensitive and protected marine species.

This FISP lot will fund data collection and research on measures, methods and gear which aim to address these challenges, to support policy and decisions on future fisheries management measure.

Proposals for projects under this section should focus on collecting data on:

Discards and bycatch that would support the development and implementation of a UK catch and discards policy;

Ecosystem impacts of fishing practices/gear to achieve the environmental objectives of the Fisheries Act;

Marine litter and ghost gear.

Gear modifications to achieve reduced environmental impact or less damaging fishing gear innovations

Improved data could lead to increased opportunities for the UK fishing and seafood industry by supporting operational improvements in sustainable catching, and including reducing discards, demonstrating and better evidencing environmental practices which reduce the damage to the marine environment and help to improve fishing opportunities

This area of funding is specifically for research into aquaculture.

This area of funding will be focussed on improving our understanding of the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture, for example aquaculture as a nature-based solution to ecological contaminants and improving our understanding of how the environmental impacts of existing aquaculture systems can be minimised.

Proposals for funding under this section should focus on research in the following areas:

Understanding the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture e.g. seaweed, bivalves, integrated multi-trophic;

Practical proposals of aquaculture as a nature-based solution and the identification of areas that could benefit from this.

Minimising the environmental impacts of existing aquaculture systems, including escapees; disease & parasite management; recirculation, control and reduction of discharges.

Ecological impacts and benefits of seaweed farming, offshore aquaculture, and recirculation to generate additional evidence on ecological impacts and benefits.

Improved data and knowledge could lead to increased opportunities for the aquaculture sector by supporting the development of fish farming as a nature-based solution towards sustainable fisheries management. Minimising environmental impacts and increasing our understanding of the ecosystem benefits of aquaculture will increase the accessibility of seafood whilst sustainably using marine resources towards the development of healthy stocks.

In addition to fishing pressure there are a number of other factors and activities which may impact fish stocks. This lot focuses on research and data collection to increase our understanding of these impacts and on potential adaptions which could be made to improve fisheries outcomes. Research on social and economic impacts is not in scope.

This lot can include research in the following areas:

• Understanding the ecological impacts of marine renewables installation and operation on fish stocks of commercial importance and/or essential fish habitat for commercially important species (e.g. understanding the impact of electromagnetic fields from buried and dynamic cables on commercially important fish and shellfish species; carrying out pre- and post- construction monitoring of commercial fisheries in relation to offshore wind farms – looking at changes in fishing distribution, activity, effort and catch rates)
• Understanding how fishing practices can be adapted to support co-location within wind farms or other marine renewable developments.
• Understanding how wind farms and other marine renewable developments can be designed to be inclusive of fishing activities (e.g. turbine spacing and ‘fishing corridors’)
• Understanding the impacts of climate change (including spatial distribution) on fish stocks of commercial importance
• Understanding the impact of underwater noise generated by marine renewables installation and operation on commercial important fish stocks (e.g. impacts from piling and UXO clearance)
• Understanding the impacts of disease on commercial important fish stocks
• Understanding cumulative ecological impacts on commercial fisheries from offshore renewables, other marine users/activities (including aquaculture) and fishery management measures (e.g. MPAs).

Whilst this Lot can fund commercial trials of existing adaptations, it will not fund innovation and technology development projects which look to develop wholly new equipment or gear – projects of this type are considered under the Seafood Innovation Fund.

Improved data and understanding should lead to a better understanding of how non-fishing factors are impacting fish stocks. This data should be able to be incorporated into future iterations of fisheries management plans, leading to more informed future management decisions which will promote long-term sustainability of UK fisheries. Gathering data on, and trailing, adaptations may help the industry to find better ways to co-exist with other marine uses, particularly marine renewables.