25 September 2007

NAFC MARINE CENTRE TO HOST BUCKLAND LECTURE

 

The NAFC Marine Centre will host a lecture on “Climate Change and Scottish Fisheries” next week (Friday 5 and Saturday 6 October) when it welcomes Dr Bill Turrell, the Buckland Professor for 2007.  Dr Turrell, an experienced ocean scientist from the FRS Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, has offered to include Shetland in his national programme of lectures, affording Shetland fishermen and other interested persons a rare opportunity to hear his lecture on this important and relevant topic.

 

Dr Turrell’s lecture focuses on the relationship between climate change and Scottish fisheries, and was motivated by the growing realisation that human induced global warming is occurring and that this is now affecting the fishing grounds which Scottish fishermen exploit.  While this complex topic has stimulated a great deal of research globally, Dr Turrell aims to provide a simple summary of some of the key findings of this research and to explain the implications for the fishing industry.

 

According to Dr Turrell: “If we are to understand how climate change will impact our commercial fisheries, we need first to understand some of the basics of the environment within which fish live.”

 

Following a quick look at the oceanography of the waters around Scotland, his lecture will go on to review the evidence describing what changes have happened in these seas over the last 10 to 20 years, and what is happening now.  Dr Turrell will conclude by considering what might happen in the future, and what fishermen, policy makers and scientists might do in response.

 

Throughout the lecture, Dr Turrell will draw on extracts from a survey recently undertaken by FRS and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation of the perception of climate change by Scottish fishermen.

 

The lecture places some emphasis on cod and explores possible links between cod decline – and its potential for future recovery – with climate change.

 

Ian Napier, Fisheries Development Manager at the NAFC Marine Centre, added: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Turrell to Shetland for this event.  The lecture will be repeated over two days and both are open to the general public.  The Saturday morning session has been specifically arranged to suit fishermen and we hope that as many as possible will be able to attend.”

 

Further information from:

Ian Napier, NAFC Marine Centre, tel 01595 772000, email or visit www.nafc.ac.uk
Or, Louise Rosie, Shaw Marketing and Design Ltd, tel 01595 692465 or email

 

Notes to editors

The Buckland Foundation was willed into existence by Frank Buckland who was the David Bellamy of the period 1860-80.  People flocked to hear him talk and he never let slip any opportunity to make people aware of the importance of fisheries, its problems, and of natural history in general.

The Buckland Foundation has appointed a Buckland Professor annually since 1930.  Each professor is expected to prepare a text and to deliver a series of public lectures on a subject area in which they are an expert.

Previous Buckland professors have included John Goodlad (in 2003).