FV Favonius 1610H
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FV Favonius (74IF) |
| Cruise identifier | 1610H |
| Cruise period | 2010-11-09 — 2010-11-18 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Peterhead, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Peterhead, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To assess the performance of a Nephrops trawl incorporating a design which gives a low headline height (~1.2m) in reducing by-catches of cod, haddock and whiting but still retaining catches of Nephrops. Catches from this test trawl will be compared to those retained by a traditional design of higher headline (~2.2m) Nephrops trawl. Narrative Staff and equipment joined FV Favonius (PD17) in Peterhead on 8 November. The trawl nets (test and control) were supplied to Favonius directly from Faithlie Trawls Ltd, Fraserburgh. The low headline test trawl was rigged onto the port net drum and the higher headline control trawl on the starboard net drum. Similar 80mm (nominal) codends constructed from 4mm single compact twine were attached to both trawls. Both extensions were rigged with 110mm (nominal) x 3m long square mesh panels constructed from 3mm knotted high tenacity twine and positioned at 12-15m from the codline. Both trawls were fished with tickler chains. The vessel sailed on the morning of 9 November to fishing grounds in the Moray Firth where a number of hauls were made to assess the performance of the trawls and the twin rig system using Scanmar instrumentation and a net mounted self-recording camera. Due to a SE gale these evaluation hauls were continued until the evening of 10 November and thereafter the vessel sailed to commercial fishing grounds approximately 45 nmiles east of Peterhead (called F & F) and commenced catch comparison hauls. During the evening of 11 November, the vessel sailed to new grounds (110 Miles Holes), approximately 90 nmiles NE of Fraserburgh and continued catch comparison hauls. The vessel remained on these fishing grounds until the evening of 15 November and then returning to F & F for 16 November. Due to a SE gale the vessel moved to grounds in the Moray Firth to carryout underwater observations for the remainder of the cruise. The cruise ended at Peterhead on 18 November with staff and equipment returning to Aberdeen. |
| Chief scientist | Robert J Kynoch (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | MF06r16 |
| Cruise programme |  (0.02 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.02 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | Moray Firth, commercial fishing grounds in the North Sea. |
