Cefas contract report C5401 MB0117: Understanding the distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Authors: Koen Vanstaen and Patricia Breen Issue date: 02/12/2014 Cefas Document Control Title: Understanding the distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Submitted to: Carole Kelly, Defra Date submitted: 02/12/2014 Project Manager: Koen Vanstaen Report compiled by: Koen Vanstaen and Patricia Breen Quality control by: Janette Lee Approved by & date: Edmund McManus, 01/12/2014 Version: Final Draft Version Control History Author Date Comment Version KV & PB 26/03/2014 Draft 0.1 JL 28/03/2014 Internal review KV & PB 29/03/2014 Final Draft 1.0 KV 01/12/2014 Final 2.0 Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page i Project Title: Understanding the distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Project Code: MB0117 Defra Contract Manager: Leila Fonseca/Carole Kelly, Defra, Marine and Fisheries Science Unit Funded by: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Marine and Fisheries Science Unit Marine Directorate Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Authorship: Koen Vanstaen and Patricia Breen Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT United Kingdom tel: + 44 (0)1502 562244 email: [email protected] www.cefas.co.uk Disclaimer: The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the views of Defra, nor is Defra liable for the accuracy of information provided, or responsible for any use of the reports content. Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page ii MB0117: Understanding the distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Authors: Koen Vanstaen and Patricia Breen Issue date: 02/12/2014 Head office Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK Tel +44 (0) 1502 56 2244 Fax +44 (0) 1502 51 3865 www.cefas.defra.gov.uk Cefas is an executive agency of Defra Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page iii Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page iv Executive Summary Knowledge about which human activities take place where, when, and how often, is essential for developing a network of marine protected areas, marine planning, the management of human activities and to understand how the different activities relate to one another. Whereas the location and footprint of most human activities is well known (e.g. aggregate extraction, wind farms, cables and pipelines), information on fishing activities remains patchy and in some instances is closely guarded, especially for the inshore fleet. The overarching aim of this project was to gain a better understanding of the inshore fishing fleet. The project brought together data from the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, Welsh Government and the Marine Management Organisation. The same data were analysed in a number of different ways to inform management requirements. Specifically the objectives of this project were: 1. To develop inshore fishing activity data layers from IFCA and MMO data covering years 2010- 2012; 2. To provide insights into temporal changes of inshore fishing activities and changes in relation to closed areas (e.g. MPAs or renewable developments); 3. To develop the concept of Zones of Influence for coastal fishing ports around England; 4. To present a case study on the potential application of the data layers developed; and 5. To report and disseminate the outcomes of the project. This project was able to produce fishing activity data layers for England and Wales covering the years 2010-2012. The data layers were produced using routinely collected data by IFCAs and the MMO. The fishing distribution and intensity data layers are presented by gear type and complement the previous data layers covering the period 2007-2009. A first attempt was made to investigate temporal changes in fishing activities in inshore waters, using the data covering the six year period between 2007 and 2009. At a national scale, areas with repeated fishing activity on an annual basis were identified. At a local scale, around a marine protected area, displacement and fishing activity intensity were studied. Results confirmed observations from local experts, thereby suggesting the data are able to describe changing trends in fishing activity. The Zones of Influence concept was successfully rolled out to all fishing ports around England and Wales. The approach links fishing grounds to coastal fishing communities and allows better assessment of current and future spatial conflicts between stakeholders. The Zones of Influence Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page v were also used to explore a new approach to value inshore fishing grounds. As with any approach, it has some limitations, but also offers some valuable new insights. The project has delivered all its objectives and results have already been used to inform conservation management and marine planning, by informing marine conservation zone impact assessments and MMO South Coast plan development. The key outputs from this project and their policy relevance are summarised in the tables on the next page. Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page vi Output Policy requirement Outcome 2010-2012 fishing activity intensity Knowledge of which, and where, Data layers showing where inshore fishing activities take place and their data layers inshore fishing activities take place. relative intensity. Broken down by gear types: trawling, dredging, potting, netting and lining & commercial angling. Based on fishing activity day records, over 98% of trawling by vessels under 15 m length will involve towing gear over the seabed. Reductions in data recordings were observed and consideration should be given to how such data will be obtained in future. iVMS could be a solution, but only if rolled out to all vessels. Regional and local temporal trends To understand trends in inshore The spatial distribution of inshore fishing activity is relatively stable in inshore fishing activities fishing activities. Changes in across the years. Annual updates of the data may therefore not be distribution and intensity over time. required. Investigate whether ‘core fishing Clear ‘core fishing grounds’ exist, with peripheral areas around these grounds’ exist or whether fishing which are visited less frequently over time. For static gear activities the grounds shift annually. ‘core fishing ground’ is large compared to the peripheral area, whereas for mobile gears the reverse is the case. Static gear fleets have less Assess the changes in distribution displacement opportunity. and intensity as a result of management measures. The Lyme Bay case study provided quantitative evidence on the effects of the towed gear closure on local fishing activities. Static gear effort increased inside the closed area, but also in the wider surrounding area. A slight increase (displacement effect) in mobile gear effort was seen immediately outside the site, but decreased to reduced levels over time. Displacement of inshore activities is therefore not a simple redistribution of effort across the wider area. Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page vii Output Policy requirement Outcome Zones of Influence Understand the impact of The Zone of Influence concept for ports around England and Wales was management measures on coastal demonstrated. It allows spatial visualisation of the areas fished by each fishing communities. fleet and allows the study of interactions with proposed offshore developments or management measures. Economic valuation of (r)MCZs Understand the economic impact of It is possible to use ZOI and management measure interactions to assess different management scenarios for the potential losses in landings values and vessel numbers per port. the fishing industry. Use best Static gears overlap more with (r)MCZ than mobile gears and economic available data and approaches. impact per kilometre square closure is often greater. Link economic impacts to fishing Limitations with the landings values and assumptions about spreading communities affected. costs evenly throughout the area should be carefully considered when using this method. Distribution and trends in inshore fishing activities and the link to coastal communities Page viii Table of contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Policy background ................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Aims and objectives ................................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Scope ......................................................................................................................................