CEFAS23-63 Contract for Outer Thames Inshore Surveys

Background Sole is a key stock for fishermen operating in the Outer Thames (ICES Division 4.c) and contributes significantly to the economic stability of the fishing and processing industries at small ports within this region. The primary objective of this project will be to start to address data gaps in the current assessment for North Sea sole, including the lack of recent recruitment data from the UK sector of the southern North Sea - an important nursery ground for the stock. Two surveys, one covering the northern Outer Thames, and another the southern Outer Thames will be conducted to achieve appropriate spatial coverage in the area. These surveys will gather abundance-at-age data for juvenile sole as well as data on the wider fish assemblage, including small demersal fish (plaice, thornback ray, whiting etc), shellfish and selected invertebrates.

Aims and Objectives The project will conduct two seasonal surveys (each of up to 7 days) using a standardised 2 or 3 m beam trawl (all survey gears will be supplied by Cefas) at fixed locations in the Outer Thames. The information to be collected will include catch rates and size distributions for commercial and non-commercial species (cod, whiting, thornback ray, shellfish etc) and biological parameters for sole and plaice.