Nigel Milner APEM Ltd Monitoring and Assessment. Or, “if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it”

Content 1.What is it? 2.Why do it? 3.What to do and Where to do it? 4.Who does it? Universal Topics 1.Standards (expectations) 2.Scale (space and time) 3.Effectiveness (fit for purpose? How uncertain can we be? How little can we get away with?)

What is Monitoring and Assessment? Forget definitions…what might “it” do in the Eden FMPlan? MONITORING ASSESSMENT Evaluation Data & Information gathering Measurement & Recording Routine Problem identification Randomised Diagnosis Investigation Research Solutions identification Targeted Understanding MON&ASS – interdependent parts of fishery management

Fisheries Management Cycle Law, policy, events resources MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES Set management TARGETS ASSESS Diagnose and evaluate limiting factors SELECT ACTIONS MONITORING and INDICATORS e.g. Fisheries Stocks Habitat OUTCOMES Stakeholders Stock conservation Sustainable fisheries Good Ecological health Socio-economics Fishery development Catch control Habitat & barriers Stocking & movements Predator and disease control Environmental improvement, via River basin Plans IMPLEMENTATION

PURPOSE OF MON&ASS Measure status and trends of “fisheries” Identify problems Find solutions Measure results of management and modify, if necessary Must have an aim and a plan for the data

“Fishery” Monitoring Fishery = a fish stock + people Catch number Catch per effort Composition Location Season Value Location Abundance Composition Population (genetic) structure Growth Mortality Timing HABITAT (water, channel, banks, land) Food Predators Environmental limiting factors Fishing effort Demand Satisfaction Participation Ownership Costs Monitoring options & indicators

Incubation Gravel quality Egg survival Fry emergence Nos, dispersal food availability temp/growth rate Juveniles Juvenile density Standing stock NB PLUS HABITAT food availability Temperature and water quality Smolts Numbers Timing flow/temp stimulus free passage Spawning Redds Effective distribution Egg deposition Adult Fishery Catches Season/age Effort Catch per effort Passage and Movements Monitoring around the life cycle Oceanic life Post-smolt survival Migration routes Because of internal regulation in young stages, adult numbers can vary greatly for comparatively little change in juvenile abundance… so, what is the purpose?

Scale matters SPAWNING & EGGS Localised distribution, but widely distributed FRY-PARR Some redistribution life stage /spp dependent. Highly habitat dependent So, Habitat inventory + stratified design if stock assesst is aim ADULTS NB population structuring, genetics, catches are usually whole river- specific, Pinch points-critical. local Q needs SMOLTS Starts local, becomes whole catchment, NB barriers, predation.

Adult salmon sampling - Catch (1) Measure of fishery performance (2) Index of stock (run size) Nets & rods (in-river) SOURCES Environment Agency Licence returns Annual published statistics Private fishery records, Log books, Census DATA TYPES... Catch, effort, C per E, location, season NB errors (recording, environmental factors especially river flow)

Rod catch data 1.Long term data quality? 2.Compare with other rivers 3.Seasonal effects 4.What goes up must come down 5.Factors: flow & fishing effort

1.Species diffs 2.Comparisons to show patterns 3.Common patterns may mean common factors

Adult in-river run estimation INDIRECT (Catch) Run (R), catch (C), exploitation rate (U) is proportion of annual run taken by fishery; then: Run = Catch /exploitation rate (U) (U is estimated independently) Catch per effort Catch-stock relationship obscure and variable Can be taken on to egg deposition DIRECT Resistivity counters Acoustic counters Video Visual count (tally) Traps Tagging Marking Biological data Index rivers

Sampling juveniles in Fresh Water By Electro-fishing Fry, parr, and resident adults  Distribution & abundance  Growth and survival,  Environmental problems Semi-quant vs quant. NB Coupled with habitat surveys...why is this important? Environment Agency’s juvenile fish electro-fishing monitoring programme

Why Evaluate Habitat ? Interpretation of population surveys - habitat always affects carry capacity - need to put observed results into context - removal of habitat ‘effects’ (saves £ in surveys) Identifying potential impacts (water quality) - pristine sites used for calibration - predictions assume no water quality problems

Sampling smolt runs Runs are seasonal & flow/temp. dependent Diurnal migration Traps, trib specific only Give direct counts or mark-recapture ests Value for money? Wolf trap: filters smolts from stream flow, led into storage tank Screw trap: same principle but moveable, self cleaning and protects fish better

Reference Points and Targets: juveniles 2. EA National Fisheries Classification System Classifies (typical) fish densities 1. HABSCORE: genuine “target” and statistical model 3. WFD NFCS2 predicted salmonid densities for Water Body class. May allow estimation of potential benefits of environmental improvements

Reference Points and Targets: catches/run 2. Catch expectation based on river size: NB effort also greater on larger rivers. CPLD vs river size less tight EDEN 1. Conservation Limits: Egg deposition, estd from run size. EA/NASCO. Well- known errors and caveats, BUT the best we have at moment. Whole-river, so vulnerable to within-river structuring. Only one part of the assessment process

Monitoring for RTs on the Eden? NB Capacity: resources, skills; avoid duplication, bring added value ADULT salmonids:  local catches/logbooks NB trout  Improve return and recording levels  Scale collection: design; reading is specialist, but Hutton was an “amateur”  Local small stream trapping (to assess adult use, genetics, sea trout)  Redd counting JUVENILE salmonids:  intensive timed surveys, for distribution, relative recruitment level.  Survival v difficult; growth feasible?  HABITAT: walkover, for habitat inventory Smolt trap manning (samples easy, stock stassessment difficult…intensive, great care needed). NB check vs objectives Flylife surveys Constructive challenge and use of EA data

Monitoring and Assessment Summary 1.2 sides of same coin: support each other 2.Purpose: to help fishery management: status, trends, target actions, develop solutions, demonstrate success or failure of management. 3.Scope: fish stocks, habitat, fish food, people & socio-economics 4.Fish Life Cycle: shows which stages are most relevant for different MON&ASS purposes. NB pre and post regulatory phases. 5.Features of good MON&ASS: relevant to mgmt aims & targets, understandable, taken up, cost-effective, consistent and long term (OR, time limited OK if that’s the plan) 6.Who does what: resources, skills, collaboration MONITORING ASSESSMENT