FISHERY IN ENGLAND SOUGHT TO TAKE PART IN NEW BYCATCH MITIGATION TRIAL

Fishery in England sought to take part in new bycatch mitigation trial. The Clean Catch programme is seeking an English fishery to get involved in a new bycatch monitoring and mitigation trial, which will test ways to address bycatch of one or more species groups from among marine mammals, seabirds, sharks, skates, and rays.

Clean Catch, which is funded by the UK Government, champions collaborative working to help monitor and minimise the bycatch of sensitive marine species in UK fisheries and to exchange knowledge globally. The programme is currently running a cetacean bycatch mitigation trial with small-scale gillnet fishers in Southwest England. Now, as part of an expansion in scope, the Clean Catch team is looking for an English fishery to run a second trial with.

For fisheries experiencing an issue around sensitive species bycatch, the trial offers the opportunity to address this as part of a fully funded project supported by a team of researchers. In the longer-term, as well as contributing to efforts to enhance fisheries sustainability in the UK, being part of the trial could offer the fishery competitive advantages such as marketing appeal, obtaining ecolabel certification, and cost savings.

The collaboration will involve working with Clean Catch for approximately two years; the trial will be co-designed and commenced in early 2025, running for a period of 12 months, with feedback from the fishery after its conclusion.

Clean Catch is keen to receive both expressions of interest from fisheries and suggestions from the industry as to which fisheries could most benefit from being involved in the trial. Submissions are open until 20 September 2024, with the fishery to be selected in November 2024. More information, including how to submit an expression of interest or a suggestion, can be found at www.cleancatchuk.com/fisherytrial/.