Desk-based research into forage fish

Tender description

RSPB Cymru is seeking a contractor to undertake a desk-based research study on forage fish (to include but not be limited to sandeel, sprat and herring).Forage fish are a fundamental component of the marine ecosystem. These species are a prey source upon which other marine wildlife (including other species of fish, seabirds and marine mammals) depend. However, to date, research into the status, distribution and pressures upon these species in the UK appears to have predominantly focused on the North Sea.The aim of this contract is to increase the understanding of the ecology of forage fish and any pressures upon them, particularly in Welsh waters and the Irish and Celtic Seas. This will be done through a desk-based exercise which collates and examines existing available evidence, highlights evidence gaps and makes recommendations for how they can be filled. It is anticipated that this work will provide a baseline to facilitate future research.