A new smartphone app being trialled by Cornish fishermen in the Celtic Sea is intended to reduce by-catches of spurdog.
Developed by Applied Satellite Technology Ltd (AST) as part of the Smartfish H2020 international research project, the app represents the next phase in the Spurdog Bycatch Management Programme, a collaboration between scientists and the fishing industry which uses scientifically-robust data collected by fishermen on spurdog by-catch to map the distribution of this species.
As well as reporting their own incidents of spurdog by-catch, the updated app provides real-time feedback to skippers, so they can avoid areas where there is likely to be high concentrations.
Initially declared a critically endangered species, a precautionary management measure adopted in 2010 placed a zero Total Allowable Catch (TAC) on spurdog for all EU-registered vessels operating in EU waters.
An industry-led research programme commissioned by Defra in 2016 and run by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) sought to experiment with giving Cornish gillnetters a low dead spurdog by-catch quota.
The initial concept was that fishermen would submit a report every 24 hours detailing their spurdog by-catch, providing the retained and discarded weight of the catch and tagging it to an ICES geolocation. The Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) collates this data and Cefas produces a map with a traffic light system representing low to high interactions with spurdog, so that skippers can make informed decisions.
Previously, reports could be submitted by email, SMS or WhatsApp. But the introduction of the app intends to streamline the process and automate the feedback mechanism so that it updates in real-time.
‘We’re attempting to achieve two outcomes with this programme. The first is to collect robust, accurate data on spurdog by-catch that can be used to inform our understanding of stock levels and distribution for scientific research as well as to influence future management measures. The second is to create a user-friendly tool that enables fishermen to make informed decisions on where to fish to avoid unwanted by-catch,’ a cefas spokesperson said.
‘For the success of both of these objectives, we need to make the process as efficient as possible, which the app allows us to do. Previously, skippers submitted their by-catch entries, never to be seen again by them. But the app immediately shares this information back to them on a heatmap, allowing them to make decisions much faster. The fact that the app streamlines the process and makes it more engaging should then result in more complete, accurate data being shared.’
Data is held in a new, stand-alone database, housed outside of Cefas and any other government organisation, with the hope that it will build trust over where the data is held and who has access to it.
‘The app will make a big difference,’ said skipper Ed Jones of netter Rachel of Ladram.
‘It’s quicker than writing down the readings and sending them later. Instead, you can record spurdog by-catches as they happen. It’s just simpler.’
Another key feature of the app is the capacity for Producers’ Organisations to access a dashboard with catch and by-catch information displayed in real-time, allowing for more efficient evaluation and co-ordination between POs and their members.
It is hoped that the app’s success could see a gradual expansion of the number of vessels in the diverse fisheries of the Celtic Sea granted access to the programme and given small spurdog quotas. This follows the logic that with ample data on a stock, there is less reason to adopt a management procedure under the precautionary principle. Instead a more balanced, flexible approach could be taken that allows landing of sustainable quantities of spurdog, and an end to the wasteful practice of dead discarding.
