RV Cefas Endeavour 4/07
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 4/07 |
| Cruise period | 2007-03-03 — 2007-03-16 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | AIM: To collect biological data on fish stocks in the Irish Sea (VIIa) in support of Module I of the EU Data Collection Regulation.
RV CEFAS ENDEAVOUR sailed from Lowestoft 08:45, 3 March and proceeded to a position just off Lowestoft to undertake engine trials. This work was completed at 13:30 and the engineer dropped at Lowestoft. A 'shakedown' tow was then completed before CEFAS ENDEAVOUR made passage for the Irish Sea fishing grounds to begin the sampling programme. Slow passage was made due to adverse weather conditions and the vessel headed via north of Scotland toward the Irish Sea. The vessel started work in the North Channel of VIIa at 12:50, 6 March using the Portuguese high headline trawl (PHHT) and after hauling the port belly was found to be missing. CEFAS ENDEAVOUR continued to fish, working the North Channel, until 19:00 on 6 March when passage was made to the south of the Isle of Man. Fishing continued throughout the night with notable large catches of haddock and whiting whilst 800 biological samples were taken. The following day the vessel continued fishing with the PHHT though due to extremely small catches it was considered necessary to switch gear to the 4m-beam trawl. The following day work recommenced working clear tows north of Wales and Anglesey targeting sole and plaice. Catches were reasonable and the biological targets were gradually filling. On the 10th March, CEFAS ENDEAVOUR headed across St Georges Channel in an attempt to fill biological targets that were not being met on the Eastern side of the Irish Sea. This proved fruitless, however it was noted that the stations fished via the crossing harvested a small amount of cod. Over night, we returned to Anglesey and sheltered from the 50 mph south easterly winds until morning where we decided to head northwards from Anglesey and back across to Dundalk and Dundrum Bay to target cod. Here fishing was very poor so we headed back towards the eastern Irish Sea. Many stations were fished providing samples of sole, plaice and thornback ray. After analysing the data collected, it showed there was a lack of female sole data for all the length groups. A steam overnight via numerous stations to Solway Firth on the 12th March resulted in an improvement in catches of female sole especially from shallower water, and males from deeper water. Over the next 24 hours, the vessel continued to fish many stations all the way back to Anglesey. On March 14th, additional stations were picked up in Canaervon Bay before it was decided CEFAS Endeavour should start her passage for Swansea, docking on the 15th of March at 13:00. |
| Chief scientist | Alexander N Tidd (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Coordinating body | CEFAS |
| Cruise programme |  (0.01 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.22 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Irish Sea and St. George's Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Irish Sea, Celtic Sea |
| Track charts | (0.04 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Pelagic fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 101 Description: A number of tows were made during the cruise and a variety of fish were caught during the cruise. |
| Pelagic fish | Quantity: number of specimens = 10 Description: A number of whiting samples were collected for DNA analysis. |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 101 Description: A number of tows were made during the cruise and a variety of fish were caught during the cruise. |
