Fisheries Research Services (FRS) has started a major new research programme to enable a better understanding of the relationship between inshore and offshore crab stocks in waters to the north of Scotland. The project is tagging brown crab is funded under SISP for sustainable fish stocks. According to FRS scientists the project will tag and release 5,000 brown crabs within a year, with the intention of fishermen later reporting where and when these crabs are recaptured.
It is said that such project will help scientists to learn more about the migratory and life history patterns of male and female brown crab in northern waters. Dr Aileen Mill, leading the tagging project at FRS, told that it aim to tag in excess of 5,000 crabs in the first year alone and it will be very interesting to see where they turn up. He added that the success of the project is dependent on getting good tag return information and as many tag returns as possible. The fishing industry will play the major role here and it is very important that they are aware of our project, says Mill.
Alan Coghill of the Orkney Fishermen’s Association and Chairman of the Scottish Government Marine Directorate Crab and Lobster Strategy Group explained that brown crab is a particularly important fishery for the north of Scotland and it is pleasurable that the need for better biological information about the stocks is being addressed. This project has clear evidence of science and industry collaboration.
