UK Cetacean Bycatch Observation Scheme – Assessment of Bycatch of Protected Species in UK Fisheries

The contract provides estimates of the accidental catches in UK fisheries. This is certain key groups of protected species, which by monitoring a selected sample of fishing operations and by analysis of fleet behaviour, can provide an understanding of the conservation threat posed by fisheries to these groups. The project focuses mainly on marine mammals, birds and sharks. The main object of the contract is to generate annual bycatch estimates for the marine mammal species recorded and to provide at least summary indicators of the scale of seabird and shark bycatch in the fisheries observed. The project produces annual reports at the end of every April (every year) tabulating fishing effort by key fishery and by region. This summarises the bycatch observations and associated estimates of protected species in each yearly bycatch.