Sandeel fisheries to be banned in Scottish waters
Following a public consultation in 2023, the Scottish Government have announced a ban on industrial sandeel fishing in Scottish waters ahead of the 2024 fishery season in March.
This is an important action to protect vulnerable populations of seabirds and cetaceans which environmental groups have been calling for over many years. HWDT welcomes the move and fed into the government consultation to highlight the impacts on minke whales, harbour porpoise and other cetacean species in Scottish waters. 97% of the respondents to the consultation were in favour of a full ban.
Sandeels have huge ecological importance and are an integral part of many marine food webs and a critical source of prey for cetaceans, seals, seabirds, and predatory fish. It is especially important for cetacean populations considering the growing pressures on these species in Scottish seas, such as climate change, acoustic and chemical pollution, and bycatch.
The ban on sandeel fishing will build ecosystem resilience and support recovery in Scotland’s internationally important wildlife populations. It is especially important for species of cetacean that rely on sandeels as an important component of their diet, such as harbour porpoises and minke whales.
There is substantial evidence that the west coast of Scotland is an important feeding area for minke whales. Sandeels are the predominant prey of minke whales in Scottish waters (Pierce et al., 2004). Studies on the distribution of minke whales around the Inner Hebrides also highlighted that the distribution of whale sightings closely matched that of sandeels, and minke whale distribution was likely driven by the availability of sandeels as a preferred prey item at certain times of year (MacLeod et al., 2004; Anderwald et al., 2012). Minke whales also show high levels of site fidelity in feeding grounds in Scottish waters. The longest sightings histories for individual minke whales in Europe are documented in the Hebrides (HWDT Minke Whale Catalogue for the west coast of Scotland).
Given the size and status of Scotland’s internationally important sandeel-dependent populations such as seabirds, seals and cetaceans, the ban will benefit a wide range of species and support the recovery of vulnerable populations.
Commercial fishing for sandeel is currently carried out entirely by European vessels with no fishing quota allocated to UK vessels since 2021.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
HWDT’s long-term research and monitoring depends on volunteers. Every single data point – and there are millions of them! – have been collected by volunteers. It is a staggeringly impressive public effort. As more people participate in expeditions, the knowledge of the species found in our seas increases.
Anyone can take part in our research expeditions on board Silurian. Full training and support will be provided by our passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated crew - from domestic duties to survey protocol, we have you covered.