Remote electronic monitoring data analysis

Clean Catch, funded by Defra, is a collaborative programme that is key to the UK Government's ambitions to help minimise and - where possible - eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species, as set out under the ecosystem objective of the Fisheries Act and elaborated in the UK Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI). Originally established in 2019, Clean Catch has now entered a second three year "expansion" phase, stewarded by a consortium of partners (Cefas, Arribada Initiative, MMO Consulting, Mindfully Wired Communications (MWC) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)) which runs until the end of October 2026. The overarching objectives of the current phase are to expand its scope and trials for monitoring and mitigation of bycatch and enhance its role in knowledge exchange within and beyond the UK.

Cefas are leading the delivery of two Clean Catch monitoring and mitigation trials, the first is the "Southwest cetacean bycatch mitigation trial in inshore gillnets" which started in May 2024 and the second is the "North Sea whitefish fishery seabird bycatch mitigation trial" which is currently in the co-design phase with the Clean Catch consortium and the vessel owners, skippers and Producer Organisation. The trials are for research and development purposes and not for compliance monitoring. Both trials have a local Fishery Liaison officer assigned to them to ensure regular and effective communication between the consortium and trialists. Cefas will provide contact details and an introduction to the Fishery Liaison officer on Contract award.

Data on sensitive species bycatch associated with participating vessels in the Southwest cetacean mitigation trial is primarily collected using Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) and a skipper self-reporting smartphone application (the Clean Catch app). Although in the co-design phase of the North Sea whitefish fishery seabird bycatch mitigation trial, it is anticipated that REM will be the primarily scientific data collection tool. Whilst each trial is focused on mitigating the bycatch of a specific taxa (cetaceans or seabirds) information about all sensitive species bycatch events is recorded as part of the monitoring during the trial.