Kent and Essex IFCA Whelk Pot Hole Size Pilot Study 2012

A 2012 pilot study by Kent and Essex IFCA tested commercial whelk pots with varying drain hole sizes to reduce undersized catch. Pots were deployed in strings of ten for two 48-hour soak periods, and the captured whelks were measured along their widest and shortest axes. The results indicated a small positive correlation between hole size and the shell height of the whelks retained.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between gear escape hole size and retained catch size based on the described measurements.
• Informing fisheries management byelaws on pot specifications using the experimental results.
• Comparing catch efficiency and selectivity across different pot designs as suggested by the pilot methodology.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a controlled field experiment with specified soak times (48 hours) and deployment methods.
• Analysis includes statistical treatment of measured whelk dimensions (widest and shortest axes).

Limitations

• Row count, column definitions, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• The dataset's scale and completeness are unclear from the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (KEIFCA), via the Government Digital Service on eu_open_data.

Collection Method

Field experiment involving commercial whelk pots shot in strings and hauled after specified soak periods.

Time Range

2012

Freshness

Data is from a 2012 pilot study; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Likely the Kent and Essex district, as referenced by KEIFCA.