#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that a Marine Institute monkfish and megrim trawl survey will be carried out off the west and southwest coasts of Ireland between 4 and 24 January 2016.
The survey consists of a maximum of 70 fishing stations of one-hour duration each in ICES (International Council for Exploration of the Sea) areas VIIb, c,g, h,j.
Approximate positions for these hauls are given in Figure 1 and Table 1 included in Marine Notice No 52 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.
Bottom trawling will take place within a 3-nautical0mile radius of these locations.
The survey will be conducted by the RV Celtic Explorer (Callsign: EIGB). The vessel will display all appropriate lights and signal during the survey and will also be listening on VHF Channel 16.
She will be towing a commercial monkfish demersal trawl during fishing operations. The Marine Institute would request commercial fishermen to keep a 3-nautical-mile area around the tow points clear of all commercial gear during the period.
While there is no statutory provision for the loss of fishing gear, the Marine Institute will make every effort to avoid gear adequately marked according to legislation (Articles 9-17 of EU Regulation 404-2011) that may have drifted into the notified areas.
In the event that a fisherman has static gear or other obstructions within 3 nautical miles of the points listed above, it is the responsibility of the owner to notify the survey managers or vessel directly via the following contacts:
- Aodhan Fitzgerald, Marine Institute: 087 248 8765
- Hans Gerritsen: [email protected]
