175. Activity by UK registered vessels within the vicinity of the offshore cable analysis area and East Anglia THREE site is considerably lower than that of the Dutch and Belgian fleets. Although there is activity by UK registered over 15m vessels in these areas, from the information obtained it is apparent that the majority of these are Anglo-Dutch vessels. A limited number of local vessels occasionally undertake longlining and to a lesser extent, netting within the vicinity of the East Anglia THREE site. The majority of the local fleet target a variety of species using longlines, drift and fixed nets, pots and trawls along the offshore cable corridor with the highest activity occurring within the 6nm limit (inshore cable analysis area). These vessels are predominantly small (under 10m) and limited in their operational range and the grounds available to them.
176. Available data on French fishing activity is limited. Based on consultation and the official information available, activity by the French fleet within the East Anglia THREE site is low. Low to moderate levels of activity by trawlers operating either demersal or pelagic otter trawls (or a combination of both) are recorded over the central area of the offshore cable corridor.
177. The available data indicates that activity by the German fleet in the East Anglia THREE site is negligible, increasing around the north eastern extremity of the offshore cable corridor. Sole and horse mackerel are the principal species and are targeted with beam trawls and otter trawls (respectively).
178. Danish activity follows a similar pattern to that of the German fleet being negligible within the East Anglia THREE site increasing (albeit to relatively low levels), in the north eastern area of the offshore cable corridor. The majority of Danish activity is by the gill netting fleet which may target a range of species including cod and flatfish such as plaice, turbot and brill. Vessels from the Danish sandeel fleet, which depends heavily on central North Sea grounds such as the Dogger Bank during the spring and summer, occasionally target sprat in the vicinity of the proposed East Anglia THREE project during the winter months.
179. Low numbers of Norwegian vessels may also occasionally target grounds within the vicinity of the proposed East Anglia THREE project. Based on VMS data, a very low level of activity occurs within the East Anglia THREE site, increasing marginally immediately east and west of the boundary. Similar levels of activity are apparent over the north eastern area of the East Anglia THREE offshore cable corridor. FMC statistics indicate that sprat accounts for the vast majority of landings values and is mainly targeted with pelagic methods (otter trawls and purse seines) although demersal otter trawls also account for some landings. Because species such as sprat are landed in high volumes, on a single trip it is expected that these values represent
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 14 Commercial Fisheries Page 75
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