Production Operations Index

Next Section

Fisheries Sensitivity Maps in British Waters Relative Value Maps It is not possible to describe all sensitivities by a common metric. Overall value of the different species by area (financial yield per ICES square) is an indication of the differential worth of areas and is merely another way of expressing sensitivity. Damaging events eg an oil spill, in an area of higher fisheries value would be of more concern than a similar spill in less productive waters, not only in strictly financial terms to fishermen but also perhaps to fish eating mammals and piscivorous birds via the food chain. The following maps show annual value by area. The first three maps show the value of the demersal, pelagic, and the principal shellfish, namely Nephrops and shrimp. The fourth map shows the values of other shellfish (scallops, crabs and lobsters) and its more coastal distribution reflects the fact that static gears are often used to collect these resources. These data, like those for effort described in the previous section, are allocated to a rectangle, but have been smoothed to show a continuous change between rectangles. Clearly they should be used only as an indication of the likely sensitivity of an area. Values are arranged in arbitrary categories, from the highest to the lowest and, as with the effort maps, the actual values are different for the different resources. A final map which sums the values of all resources by area is also included. It is an indication of overall economic productivity of the different marine areas around the UK.