Funding for fisheries management

Dr Codling, jointly appointed between the University's Departments of Mathematical Sciences and Biological Sciences, was successful in the National Environment Research Council's new investigators competition, open to new academics that are within two years of their first appointment.

His grant will involve collaboration with Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in Lowestoft, the Irish Marine Institute, and the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas.

Dr Codling explains: ‘Problems in fisheries management and the over-exploitation and collapse of European fish stocks is a key issue. A traditional approach to fisheries management is based on assessments that require enormous amounts of data. However, many fisheries have limited or unreliable data, so alternative assessment and management is required.'

'This project will develop an assessment framework that uses empirical fisheries indicators and statistical process control techniques as part of a long-term harvest control rule for the management of fisheries. The theoretical methods developed will also be suitable for managing other natural resources.’

In addition, Dr Codling's grant will pay for a postdoctorate to work in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University for a year.