Project UK Fisheries Improvements Marine Stewardship Council FIP Western & Channel Monkfish Fishery ETP Species Assessment Christopher Page January 2018 1. Table of Contents 2. Table of Figures .......................................................................................................... 4 3. Table of Tables ........................................................................................................... 6 4. Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 8 4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 8 4.2. Background of the Fishery ............................................................................................... 8 4.3. Assessment Area ............................................................................................................. 9 4.4. Aims & Objectives ........................................................................................................... 9 4.5. Defining and Identifying ETP Species ............................................................................... 9 4.6. Key Vulnerable Species Identified .................................................................................. 10 4.7. Data Sources Used for Analysis ...................................................................................... 10 4.8. Key Elasmobranchs Findings .......................................................................................... 11 4.9. Key Fin Fish Findings ...................................................................................................... 11 4.10. Key Marine Mammal Findings ................................................................................... 12 4.11. Key Seabirds Findings ................................................................................................ 12 4.12. Key Overall Highlights ................................................................................................ 13 5. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 14 5.1. Background of the Fishery ............................................................................................. 14 5.2. Summary of Pre-assessment & Action Plan for ETP Species ........................................... 15 6. Aims & Objectives .................................................................................................... 16 6.1. Assessment Area of the Fishery ..................................................................................... 16 7. Fishing Gear of The Western & Channel Monkfish Fishery ........................................ 17 7.1. Beam Trawl Gear Type .................................................................................................. 17 7.2. Demersal Trawl Gear Type ............................................................................................. 18 7.3. Static Net Gear Type ...................................................................................................... 19 7.3.1. Set Trammel Nets ......................................................................................................... 20 7.3.2. Entangling Nets ............................................................................................................ 21 8. An Introduction to Bycatch ....................................................................................... 22 8.1. Marine Mammals .......................................................................................................... 23 8.1.1. Direct Impacts .............................................................................................................. 25 8.2. Seabirds ........................................................................................................................ 26 1 8.2.1. Direct Impacts .............................................................................................................. 27 8.3. Elasmobranchs .............................................................................................................. 28 8.3.1. Direct Impacts .............................................................................................................. 28 8.4. Indirect Impacts ............................................................................................................ 28 8.4.1. Species Specific Population Impacts on The Wider Community .................................. 28 8.4.2. Higher Order Effects ..................................................................................................... 29 8.4.3. Ghost Fishing ................................................................................................................ 29 8.4.4. Sublethal Impacts ......................................................................................................... 29 9. Defining ETP Species ................................................................................................. 31 9.1. Relevant ETP Protective Legislation ............................................................................... 32 10. Obtaining Relevant Data ....................................................................................... 35 10.1. Observer Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 35 10.2. Species Distribution Mapping .................................................................................... 37 10.3. VMS Mapping ............................................................................................................ 37 10.4. Species Sightings Mapping ......................................................................................... 40 10.5. Habitats Mapping ...................................................................................................... 41 10.5.1. Overlay Analysis ........................................................................................................... 42 10.6. Conservation Areas .................................................................................................... 45 11. Assessment of ETP Species .................................................................................... 46 11.1. Cefas Observer Data Profiling .................................................................................... 46 12. Assessment of Elasmobranchs Interactions ........................................................... 48 12.1. Beam Trawl ............................................................................................................... 48 12.2. Demersal ................................................................................................................... 50 12.3. Entangling Trammel ................................................................................................... 52 12.4. Common Skate .......................................................................................................... 54 12.5. Porbeagle Shark ......................................................................................................... 55 12.6. Spurdog ..................................................................................................................... 58 12.7. Basking Shark ............................................................................................................ 60 12.8. Tope Shark ................................................................................................................ 62 12.9. Undulate Ray ............................................................................................................. 64 13. Fish ....................................................................................................................... 65 13.1. Twaite & Aliss Shad ................................................................................................... 65 13.2. European Eel ............................................................................................................. 67 2 14. Marine Mammals .................................................................................................. 68 14.1. Common Porpoise ..................................................................................................... 70 14.2. Common Dolphin ....................................................................................................... 72 14.3. Common/Grey Seal ................................................................................................... 73 15. Seabirds ................................................................................................................ 74 15.1. Northern Gannet ....................................................................................................... 75 16. Susceptibility Assessment ..................................................................................... 76 16.1. Productivity ............................................................................................................... 77 16.2. Susceptibility ............................................................................................................. 78 16.2.1. Availability .................................................................................................................... 78 16.2.2. Encounterability ..........................................................................................................