1987 Eastern Irish Sea Groundfish Survey Catch Data from the Silver Star Vessel

Three surveys conducted in 1987 aboard the fishing vessel Silver Star provide numbers at length by centimetre for main commercial fish species in the eastern Irish Sea. The data was collected using a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour at recorded station positions. A summary table for cruises 01/87, 02/87, and 03/87 includes catch data for all other species.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical fish population length distributions based on the recorded numbers at length by centimetre.
• Studying spatial distribution of commercial species based on the recorded station positions by area.
• Comparing catch composition across three specific 1987 cruises using the included summary table.
• Modeling groundfish stock trends in the eastern Irish Sea as part of a longer time series from 1976 to 1991.

Strengths

• Data is part of a defined time series from 1976 to 1991, providing historical context.
• Surveys used a standardized method: a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour.
• Includes a summary table aggregating catch data for all species across three specific cruises.

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 using a Boris Goshawk trawl towed for an hour.

Time Range

1987

Freshness

Data is from 1987; last update is unknown.

Geography

Eastern Irish Sea