Fisheries modelling

Fisheries management is at the heart of our work. Cefas has defined the process of collecting, storing, managing, analysing and modelling fisheries data, which has been adopted across Europe and beyond.

Our work has a global application and covers everything from physical monitoring processes to predicting behavioural response to resource management measures. It is fully integrated within a multidisciplinary framework, supported by a team of around forty-five modellers with a broad skills-base, working to address physical, chemical, biological, social and economic problems using a wide range of techniques, approaches, hardware and software.

Cefas’ experts have developed scientifically robust methods, including numerical and statistical modelling techniques to assess the state of stocks, as well as the impact of fishing fleets on species and the ecosystems that support them.

Our work has played an important role in the development and application of community and ecosystem modelling approaches to address strategic research issues on the impacts of fishing and environmental change on marine ecosystems. Our research also identifies and evaluates the ecological and fishery trade-offs of management strategies.