CEFASc180d8d9-e10b-4496-ac9e-21226c4db362 English dataset Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk pointOfContact 2020-06-16T01:06:42 EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry 2022-01-07 revision WGS 84 Eastern Irish Sea Razor Clam Survey 2009/10 - Fisheries Science Partnership FSP Eastern Irish Sea razorfish 2016-11-14 publication 2020-06-16 revision 2012-10-24 creation CEFAS639 https://data.cefas.co.uk The fishing vessel Lord Sam ll was chartered to carry out a survey of razor clam populations on the Cumbrian coast. The aim of the survey was to establish whether a commercially viable stock of razor clam existed in this area. The survey was delayed by inclement weather, but was eventually completed in February 2010. The Seafish/Cefas experimental water-jet dredge was employed north of Walney Island, but there were problems in deploying the gear safely. Those problems added to the sea-time lost through poor weather. In all, 34 dredge deployments were made, but at only 26 of these did the dredge fish successfully. Where the dredge did work well, good catches of the razor clam Ensis siliqua were taken; up to 17 kg in a 10-min haul, although the average catch was ~5kg. The razor clam caught covered a wide size range and young animals from at least two year classes were present, suggesting that successful recruitment is a regular occurrence in the population. The adult population had a modal size pf 185 mm shell length. The highest biomass in by-catches was contributed by the heart urchin Echinocardium cordatum., Several clam species, two possibly with commercial potential, were found regularly. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk originator Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk custodian Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory Pakefield Road Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 0HT UK data.manager@cefas.co.uk distributor Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) data.manager@cefas.co.uk owner Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk owner notPlanned Biota abundance, biomass and diversity SeaDataNet P03 parameter discovery vocabulary 2011-03-25 revision Species distribution GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Water column SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2010-05-18 revision Marine Environmental Data and Information Network MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication data.gov.uk MEDIN metadata record availability 2012-01-11 publication otherRestrictions noLimitations otherRestrictions Adherance to the Cefas Data access policy required. Terms and conditions of OGL – Open Government Licence apply. `http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/`_ .. _`http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/`: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ English biota -3.50 -3.00 53.75 54.50 2009-01-11 2009-02-11 Binary Unknown https://data.cefas.co.uk/view/639 Cefas Data Portal download The Cefas Data Portal contains metadata records and data sets available to download and connect to in support of our commitment to open science. Data is available in the following formats: Binary download. dataset INSPIRE Data Specification on Species Distribution – Technical Guidelines 2013-12-10 publication false See the referenced specification Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 publication true See the referenced specification Survey area Advice was sought from the fishing industry through the representative of the North West Fish Producers Organisation as to where the survey should be targeted. The coast between the north end of Walney Island up to Silecroft on the Cumbrian coast was cited as an area where net fishers frequently found razor clam entangled in their gear. The area lies outside any environmental designations, although it is close to the Duddon Special Area for Conservation (SAC). Gear The experimental water-jet dredge employed for this survey was initially designed for a Seafish/Cefas joint project in The Wash during 2005. Its design is based on dredges in use in razor clam fisheries in Ireland. It is 3m long and its fishing width is 0.9 m. It weighs approximately 400 kg, but an extra 180 kg was added to counter the up thrust generated by the water jets when fishing. In operation, water is pumped down a hose to the manifold at the front of the dredge and forced through nozzles directed at the seabed in front of the cage. This fluidises the sediment, allowing the front end of the dredge to dig into the seabed. The dredge is then towed slowly and the catch collected in the cage. The catch is emptied through the gate at the rear of the dredge. The vessel A tender process was carried out during July 2009. This produced only one vessel that met the criteria specified. Agreement was reached, but after the experimental dredge had been delivered to the vessel’s home port of Barrow-in-Furness the skipper of the vessel decided that his vessel could not handle the gear safely and asked to be released from the contract. Mr Benson of Kingfisher Seafoods was approached as the owner of the only local vessel considered capable of safely handling the dredge and he agreed to the charter of Lord Sam ll to carry out the survey. Lord Sam ll is 13.9 m overall length and is ideal for deploying the dredge, having an onboard pump and deck crane. The vessel is normally engaged in dredging for mussels. MEDIN 3.1.1