In this talk, Dr Robin Cook, Senior Research Fellow of Mathematics and Statistics at Strathclyde University, will tackle some very fishy misconceptions. Including:
How stocks of cod have during the post WW2 period and how scientists judge its status. We will look at the evidence for stock collapse and recovery. More widely we will show that the fortunes of many European stocks have changed for the better.
Following the high profile campaign by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall the EU has banned the practice of discarding fish. We will discuss what lies at the heart of the problem and whether a ban is useful.
Fishermen often complain that seals are eating away their livelihoods. We will look at evidence for this in the West of Scotland where grey seals are abundant and fish stocks are in poor shape.
With Brexit looming we will discuss the Common Fisheries Policy and what is needed for good management of stocks.

About the Speaker:

Robin Cook studied population dynamics at the University of Oxford and went on the work at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen. During his career there he worked as a fishery scientist specialising in methods of stock assessment and was principal scientific advisor on fishery management to the Scottish Government. He was Chief Scientist at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and served on the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management as well at the EU Commission’s Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). After retiring as Chief Executive of the Marine Laboratory he took up a position of Senior Research Fellow in the Mathematics and Statistic Department at the University of Strathclyde. In addition to working at the University, he provides advice to the National Marine Fishery Service in the USA and does analysis for fisheries seeking Marine Stewardship Certification.

This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility: As per the policy of the Admiral Bar, access to the venue “can only be provided to patrons who are sufficiently mobile and capable of independently evacuating premises, or with the minimum of assistance”. Unfortunately, this leaves the basement inaccessible to most wheelchair users.