University of Aberdeen WP 2 “Shifting baselines” Workshop Tallinn, 3-4 March 2006
Fishing activity data data from 1965 onwards Landings - weight and value Total Species / gear type Main species DATA AVAILABLE Biological framework
DATA AVAILABLE Species in analysis Cod ( Gabus morhua ) Haddock ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus ) Herring ( Clupea harengus ) Whiting ( Merlangius merlangus ) Blue whiting ( Micromesistius poutassou ) Mackerel ( Scomber scombrus ) Norway lobster ( Nephrops norvegicus ) Anglerfish ( Lophius litulon )
Biological data Lenght-frequency data Size & age at maturity Biomass Discards data Maximum sizes Plankton data DATA AVAILABLE
Fishing activity data data from 1965 onwards Fishing fleet – number of vessels Employment – number of registered fishermen DATA AVAILABLE Socio-economic framework
Environmental data North Atlantic Oscilation (NAO) – data from 1821 onwards Sea Surface Temperature (SST) – data from 1891 onwards Chlorophill – data from 1960 onwards River flow – data from 1948 onwards DATA AVAILABLE Environmental frameworks
Legislative data Management regimes DATA AVAILABLE Institutional framework
Study sites
Fisheries one of the oldest activities in the firth Fisheries date back to 8000 years ago Medievel times salmon were salted and exported to Europe By mid 19th century concerns about salmon stock led to traps being banned from the inner firths Several settlements fishing for herring By mid 19th century Wick was the most important herring port in Europe HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF FISHERIES IN THE MORAY FIRTH
MORAY FIRTH
Tallinn, 3-4 March 2006
Include fishermen’s perpective on shifting baselines Possible Publications ?
East coast: Moray Firth
Moray Firth General information Largest firth in Scotland - sea area of 2020 sq miles (5230 km 2 ) Several nature conservation designations: SSSI; Natura 2000 network – Inner MF is a SPA and SAC Ramsar site Fisheries Importance has declined – accounts for 26% scottish vessels over 10m Very important from a cultural point of view Fleet shifting to small scale fleet and a shellfish fishery
West coast: Loch Torridon & Inner Sound
Loch Torridon & Inner Sound General information Representative of northwest & island type glaciar sea lochs Wester Ross National Scenic Area (largest in Scotland) Upper Loch Torridon & Shieldaig – MCA status Fisheries Dominated by nephrops fishery Characterized by a creel-only fishery – closed area (2000) LTNCF awarded MSC label (2003) for sustainable and well-managed marine fishery