<?xml version="1.0"?>
<oai_dc:dc xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
  <dc:title xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Sustainable razor clam fishery 2013/14 - Fisheries Science Partnership</dc:title>
  <dc:type xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">dataset</dc:type>
  <dc:identifier xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=009_CEFASe64c8df1-96bd-4671-bb33-0caec45b93e2</dc:identifier>
  <dc:description xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">The fishing vessel *Harmoni *(MR7) was chartered to carry out experimental 
electro-fishing for razor clams. The aim of the survey was to establish 
whether a commercial fishery with this gear was viable commercially and 
environmentally sustainable.

There was initially a period of gear design and construction which, together 
with some unavailability of either the vessel of Cefas staff, delayed the 
project until the winter of 2013/14. The weather was exceptionally poor and 
delayed the start of work such that funding had to be carried forward into the 
next financial year. Fieldwork commenced in May at a site off Southport, but 
despite the experimental gear deploying and working as envisaged, no razor 
clams were caught.

It was decided that a new fishing area should be tried and at the suggestion 
of the skipper, a diving company was engaged to survey positions where catches 
had been made previously. One position was found to have a significant density 
of razor clams and this was chosen as a target for the next trip. 
Unfortunately this position was in too shallow water for *Harmoni *to reach 
and deploying the gear a short distance to seaward produced no catch. After 
further tows through the area which also proved barren, the project was 
abandoned.</dc:description>
  <dc:date xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">20170120 20170111</dc:date>
</oai_dc:dc>
