Report on razor clam surveys in the Sound of Harris and the Ayrshire coast of the Clyde (Girvan to North Bay)

This report describes surveys carried out in the Sound of Harris and Ayrshire coast, Clyde in late August and early September 2017. A combination of commercial electrofishing rig and towed video rig was deployed at potential razor clam grounds using the fishing vessel ‘Nicola Jane’. Recorded video was analysed for the number and sizes of razor clams forced to the surface by the electrofishing equipment. Data were converted to area densities (numbers of razor clams m-2) based on estimates of the area swept (m2) by the video recording. The aim of this project was to use a combination of electrofishing with towed video to assess the quantities and sizes of razor clams (Ensis sp.) across a number of grounds on the west of Scotland. The results are intended to inform Marine Scotland in the setting of catch limits for potential commercial-scale fisheries on razor clams using the electrofishing technique.