Eastern Irish Sea Groundfish Catch Data from 1978 Silver Star Surveys

Three 1978 surveys aboard the Silver Star vessel recorded commercial fish populations in the eastern Irish Sea. Numbers at length by centimetre for main species were collected using a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour at recorded station positions. This data forms part of a longer time series conducted by the Government Digital Service from 1976 to 1991.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical fish species length distributions based on the recorded numbers at length by centimetre.
• Studying spatial distribution of commercial groundfish based on the recorded station positions by area.
• Modeling trawl survey catch efficiency for a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour.
• Investigating changes in fish populations as part of the 1976-1991 Silver Star time series.

Strengths

• Data is part of a defined time series spanning 1976 to 1991, providing historical context.
• Survey methodology is specified: a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour.
• Spatial reference is provided via recorded station positions by area.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Surveys carried out on the fishing vessel Silver Star using a Boris Goshawk trawl.

Time Range

1978

Freshness

Data is from 1978; part of a series ending in 1991.

Geography

Eastern Irish Sea