A BIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE SWEDISH FISHERY FOR NORWAY LOBSTER (NEPHROPS NORVEGICUS)

A modified version of Jones' length-based cohort analysis is linked to economic data from the Swedish trawl fishery for Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). The current regulation implies a fishing practice where each landed lobster entails three killed due to discard mortality, and different cases of trawl selectivity are compared together with varying natural mortality. The bioeconomic analysis shows that a maximum economic yield equilibrium requires effort reductions of more than 50%, leading to a potential resource rent of almost US $3 million, compared to the open-access situation in 1995. Further increase of the resource rent is possible if a more selective trawl is introduced and enforced. The trawl fishery is compared with a minor in-shore creel fishery, which differs in exploitation pattern, fuel consumption, and impact on the benthic flora and fauna. A qualitative discussion on the two fisheries is carried out and a comparison of the economic performance is presented.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ScotMap : Participatory mapping of inshore fishing activity to inform marine spatial planning in Scotland

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank all the fishermen interviewed who gave freely of their time, fisheries compliance staff, government scientists, contractors and fishing industry representatives for their heroic efforts conducting interviews. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank all the staff in Marine Scotland who staffed the data verification workshops. Lastly, the authors would also like to thank colleagues Gareth Jones, Robert Watret, and Liam Mason for their advice and support during the project. Marine Scotland has financially supported the data collection and conduct of research, as well as preparation and publishing of this article. The writing of this manuscript was also supported by the “Marine Collaboration Research Forum” writing retreat co-funded by Marine Scotland and the University of Aberdeen which took place in November 2015.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Ecosystem uptake and transfer of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C). Part 1. The Irish Sea

Ecosystem uptake and transfer processes of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon (14C) within the Irish Sea were examined. Highly variable activities in sediment, seawater and biota indicate complex 14C dispersal and uptake dynamics. All east basin biota exhibited 14C enrichments above ambient background while most west basin biota had 14C activities close to background, although four organisms including two slow-moving species were significantly enriched. The western Irish Sea gyre is a suggested pathway for transfer of 14C to the west basin and retention therein. Despite ongoing Sellafield 14C discharges, organic sediments near Sellafield were significantly less enriched than associated benthic organisms. Rapid scavenging of labile, 14C-enriched organic material by organisms and mixing to depth of 14C-enriched detritus arriving at the sediment/water interface are proposed mechanisms to explain this. All commercially important fish, crustaceans and molluscs showed 14C enrichments above background; however, the radiation dose from their consumption is extremely low and radiologically insignificant