In May and August 2007 AquaBiota performed two fish surveys at Finngrunden in the southern Bothnian Sea, commissioned by WPD Scandinavia AB. The study focused on demersal fish, that is, fish that feed primarily on the seabed, and that vary in mobility from highly migratory to predominantly sedentary species.
The results of these fishing periods was used as a basis for a strategic environmental assessment in connection with WPD’s application to establish offshore wind power in the area.
Sampling was performed with the aid of the Nordic coastal survey nets, small eel traps, and flounder nets in accordance with directives from The Swedish Board of Fisheries and The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The analysis comprised both the total catch and data from individual samples.
Picking viviparous eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) out of the nets (Photo: A. Nikolopoulos).