Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 36 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| footrope |
A weighted line constructed of rope, wire or chain strung through rubber discs, rockhoppers or metal bobbins that forms the lower leading edge of the net. |
| Fpa |
Precautionary fishing mortality rate. See Precautionary Approach. |
| ghost fishing |
The accidental capture of aquatic organisms by fishing gear (usually gill nets, or traps, pots, etc) that has been lost or discarded into the sea and which continues to entangle or trap aquatic animals. |
| headline |
The length of rope or wire in a trawl to which the top wings and cover netting are attached. |
| ICES |
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, an independent scientific advisory body founded in 1902. It encourages research into commercial fish stocks, their biology and all factors (natural and man made) that may affect their abundance. It does not undertake research in its own right but has a secretariat in Copenhagen to facilitate and co-ordinate collaboration, including fishery stock assessments, between Member States. Work is carried out through numerous working groups convened under the remit of one or more standing committees |
| IFG |
Inshore Fisheries Group. A proposed management group formed to be responsible for developing specific management plans to meet the needs of their local fisheries. 12 Inshore Fisheries Groups have been proposed for inshore waters around Scotland. |
| larvae |
The lifecycle stage of a developing animal after it has hatched from its egg but before it has reached the adult or juvenile stage. Many marine larvae drift in the plankton. |
| monofilament |
A single strand of nylon (or similar) line that is often translucent, and difficult to see in water. It is widely used in the manufacture of static gear nets. |
| Pelagic |
Referring to organisms living in the spatial water column. |
| precautionary approach |
Implemented in the ICES advice on fisheries management in 1998, consisting of a framework of biological reference points, related to upper exploitation boundaries. Management decisions for sustainable fisheries should restrict the risk that the spawning biomass falls below a minimum limit, or that the fishing mortality rate becomes too high. A minimum level of spawning stock biomass, or limit biomass (Blim), is defined. Below Blim there is a higher risk that the stock reaches a level where it suffers from severely reduced productivity. In a similar way a limit of fishing mortality has been defined (Flim). Management should prevent the spawning stock falling below Blim, and avoid a fishing mortality above Flim. To avoid the risk of the spawning stock falling to or below Blim because of uncertainties in the assessment, a higher stock biomass has also been defined - the precautionary biomass (Bpa). To avoid fishing mortality becoming as high as Flim, a lower level of fishing mortality has been defined - the precautionary fishing mortality (Fpa). In general, management advice is aimed at avoiding the risk of the spawning stock falling below Bpa, and the fishing mortality rate increasing above Fpa. |
| quota |
A fixed proportion of the total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to a fishing nation. This national quota allocation may be further sub-divided into quotas for specific areas, seasons, fisheries and stakeholders. |
| RAC |
Regional Advisory Council. A stakeholder-led forum to give fishermen and other interested parties, including environmental organisations and consumer groups, a say in the way the Common Fisheries Policy is operated. RACs are the formal channel through which stakeholders can give suggestions and advice to the European Commission and the Council of Ministers. |
| recruitment |
The number of young produced by a given stock each year, or the numbers of new fish which are added to the exploitable portion of the stock resulting from growth or migration of smaller fish. |
| rock hopper |
An assembly constructed from rubber discs or ‘wheels’ fitted through the ground rope, with a second wire passing through the discs off centre. This prevents the discs from rotating freely. When the ground rope snags on a seabed obstruction, the discs try to turn and the second wire winds around the ground rope and acts as an accumulator spring. Eventually, the tension becomes too much and as it is released, the trawl ‘hops’ free of the obstruction. |
| sedentary species |
Organisms which at the harvestable stage, are either immobile on or under the seabed, or are unable to move except in constant physical contact with the seabed or the subsoil. |
