Clean Catch UK is a new initiative to collect data on the life histories, movements, distributions, behaviours, accidental capture and post-release survival of wildlife in UK commercial fisheries, with an initial focus on the Celtic Sea. Find out more at: https://www.cleancatchuk.com/.

The seas around the UK are thriving underwater ecosystems. These waters provide essential habitats for a number of protected, endangered and threatened species of wildlife, also known as ‘sensitive marine species’.

Common dolphin, grey seal, and seabirds such as fulmar and cormorant are all examples of sensitive marine species, and our coasts would not be the same without these beautiful, awe-inspiring animals. Unfortunately, this wildlife can be hard for fishermen to avoid and can become entangled in fishing gear, ending up as accidental catch – or ‘bycatch’.

Bycatch is both an animal welfare concern and a conservation concern. Globally, bycatch is one of the greatest threats to sensitive marine species, and can contribute to the decline of certain populations of wildlife.  The accidental capture of wildlife can also be a distressing experience for fishermen who care about the seas in which they fish, and is costly and time-consuming to handle.  

Clean Catch UK researchers have formed a unique collaboration with members of the UK fishing industry to produce an app designed to gather data on accidental wildlife bycatch.

Clean Catch UK have launched an innovative new app, developed with and for the fishing industry. The app, supported by Defra and developed by Cefas and AST, is designed to be easy to use alongside fishing as usual activities, enabling crews to record vital information about their catch, including bycatch (the unintended capture or entanglement of non-target species in fishing gear) whilst at sea. The Clean Catch UK programme is a UK-wide network of organisations invested in the monitoring and reduction of accidental wildlife bycatch, working at the national, regional an – in this case – local level with members of the fishing industry, scientists, policy makers, and conservation organisations. Click here to find out more about the App.