2024 Fal Oyster Survey: Native Oyster, Scallop, and Slipper Limpet Counts in Cornwall

Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) conducts annual dredge surveys within the Fal Oyster Fishery. The 2024 survey recorded counts of 2,861 native oysters, 2,963 scallops, and 3,384 slipper limpets across 81 sites, also noting substrate types and bycatch species. The analysis was segmented by three management areas (A, B, C) within the River Fal.

Use Cases

• Modeling population distribution of native oysters (Ostrea edulis) based on annual survey counts.
• Assessing the abundance and spread of the invasive slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) across the fishery area.
• Analyzing scallop (Aequipecten opercularis, Mimachlamys varia) population trends relative to substrate types recorded at each site.
• Investigating species co-occurrence and bycatch community composition mentioned in the survey description.

Strengths

• Provides specific 2024 counts for three key species: 2,861 oysters, 2,963 scallops, and 3,384 slipper limpets.
• Covers 81 distinct sampling sites within a defined management area.
• Includes multi-year continuity, with surveys conducted annually since 2014 and expanded scope since 2016 and 2018.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified beyond the 2024 reference.

Provenance

Source

Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA), aggregated via Government Digital Service on eu_open_data.

Collection Method

Annual dredge surveys at fixed sites within the Fal Oyster Fishery management area.

Time Range

Survey conducted in 2024, part of an annual series since 2014.

Freshness

Data references the year 2024, but the exact publication or last update date is unknown.

Geography

River Fal, Cornwall, United Kingdom, analyzed by Management Areas A, B, and C.