PAGE FOR INFORMATION ONLY - SCIENTIFIC TRIAL HAS CLOSED
Scientific Trial: Juvenile Real Time Closure
Marine Scotland is conducting a 21 day trial on the use of selective gears to reduce juvenile catches for TR2 vessels. Five (5) approved selective TR2 gears will feature in the trial programme.
- Other selective TR2 gear designs may be added to the list during the derogated period by Marine Scotland. Gears will only be considered to be added if recommended by the SFF. The new designs must be well documented and have unique features which can easily be identified by visual inspection.
- There will be no limit on the number of vessels which can participate. Each vessel can only fish with one of the approved selective TR2 gears within a JRTC.
- Vessels wishing to participate must nominate the selective TR2 gear they wish to fish with and present themselves for inspection at a Fishery Office prior to leaving port to have their selective gear visually inspected and tagged by Fishery Officers. Vessels can only nominate and carry one selective TR2 gear design at a time. So if a master wishes to try more than one selective gear option, he/she will need to remove the selective net first nominated and inspected, nominate a new design and get these net(s) inspected and tagged prior to leaving port. Vessels can join the scheme at any time throughout the duration of the scheme. Our contact number for net inspections is 07769 936823.
- Participating vessels must also agree that Marine Scotland can fully publish all the information relating to JRTC samples taken on the vessel throughout the period of the scheme. The information will be published on this page.
- A list of all participating vessels, together with the serial number of the net tags, will be held on a central spreadsheet which all Fishery Offices and MPVs will have access to. It is anticipated that each selective net will have at least three tags.
- The derogation will involve a period of 21 days fishing, from 0001hrs 29 June 2011, from when participating vessels can fish within a Scottish JRTC with the selective TR2 gear nominated, inspected and tagged by Marine Scotland.
- Vessels can also carry their normal TR2 nets, which can be used outside of JRTCs. However, if any Scottish vessel, whether in the scheme or not, is identified as fishing within a JRTC with any other net than the selective TR2 gear nominated, inspected and tagged by Marine Scotland, the scheme will be permanently aborted with immediate effect. So the actions of one master can end the scheme for all participants.
- A fishing day is defined as a day where the weather is within the boarding limits of the Marine Scotland MPV crew. When the weather is out with boarding limits and judged to remain so for a day or more, the scheme will be suspended and all vessels asked, by broadcast from the MPV on station, to immediately 'haul up' and temporarily leave the JRTCs. Vessels will be able to continue to fish outside any JRTCs.
- Marine Scotland Compliance will have at least one MPV constantly on station to conduct as many samples on vessels operating within JRTCs as possible. There will be a high level of scrutiny during the period of the scheme.
- The MPVs will prioritise sampling within JRTCs, but will not be restricted to conduct samples only within JRTCs. It is therefore feasible that the constant presence of one or more MPVs could result in new JRTCs.
- Sampling will be conducted according to the EU regulations in force. Currently, in order for a positive sample to be obtained, the boarding officer must estimate that there is at least 300kg of cod, saithe, haddock and whiting (combined) in the haul (from all lifts combined). In a weighed sample of at least 200kg there must then be 15% or more of juvenile (fish below minimum landing size) cod, saithe, haddock and whiting (combined). More details can be found on the Juvenile Closed Area pages.
- A vessel whose catch within an existing JRTC is sampled and would have triggered a JRTC (gives a positive sample) will have the derogation to fish within a Scottish JRTC removed for that gear - the derogation will be removed from this vessel alone, rather than any other vessels fishing with the same selective gear in the same or other JRTCs.
- The vessel which has been removed from the scheme may return to port and change to a different type of approved selective TR2 gear, as described in point 4, and re-join the scheme.
- Marine Scotland will communicate the sample results as quickly as possible so that other masters have the opportunity to utilise the information to minimise their discards. Full sample results will be posted on this page.
- In addition to the possibility that the scheme could be aborted as a result of a vessel fishing in a Scottish JRTC with any other net than the selective TR2 gear nominated, inspected and tagged by Marine Scotland, Marine Scotland also reserve the right to abort the scheme if we have evidence of other abuses, such as failing to leave a JRTC if the weather is out with boarding limits.
Marine Scotland
28 June 2011