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Fisheries of the Forth, Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

F. G. Howard ,
D. W. McKay  and
A. W. Newton
F. G. Howard
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB9 8DB, Scotland, U.K.
D. W. McKay
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB9 8DB, Scotland, U.K.
A. W. Newton
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB9 8DB, Scotland, U.K.
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Synopsis

Historical aspects of the Firth of Forth fisheries are described, and the present state of the stocks of exploited species is reviewed. The once-substantial pelagic fisheries have declined and now constitute only a minor component of the firth fisheries. Herring fisheries were based on spring spawning herring but the herring now caught in the firth are from stocks of overwintering juveniles of autumn spawning herring. Recent conservation measures have closed many of the firth grounds to herring and sprat fishing. The main demersal species caught are cod, haddock, whiting, plaice and lemon sole. Most landings are from catches made in the middle and outer firths and the North Sea. The demersal pair trawl is now the most important gear used in directed demersal fishing. The most important shellfish fishery is that for the Norway lobster, current landings being valued at £2·4 million. Over-exploitation resulted in a decline in the stocks in the late 1970s. They are now recovering. Recent studies suggest that population characteristics of Norway lobsters are influenced by the physical environment. The firth today is one of the most intensively exploited areas in Scotland for lobster and crabs. Other exploited shellfish include squid, winkles and mussels.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 93 , Issue 3-4: The Natural Environment of the Estuary and Firth of Forth , 1987 , pp. 479 - 494
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1987

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