nifca news autumn 2024
During June we conducted the latest Aln Estuary Survey. The Aln Estuary Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) is the smallest designated MCZ in the UK, covering an area of just 38.5 hectares. The surveys help identify the abundance of fish communities at each site and collect additional data on the estuary's physical and chemical properties, such as temperature and salinity. All the commercial species measured were juveniles, except for trout and a small percentage of adult sandeels (22% lesser sandeels and 7% greater sandeels). The most abundant species recorded was the Atlantic herring, with 706 individuals, marking the highest recorded species abundance in a single sample. The 2023 survey results reaffirmed the Aln Estuary MCZ's importance as a nursery ground for various fish species, notably commercial species such as lesser and greater sandeel, Atlantic herring, European flounder, and European eel. It is important to note that sandeel and European eel both have prohibitions for commercial fisheries in the UK.
Photography by Helen Cowan
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