The MCS is urging fish farmers in the Hebrides and West coast to be on the look-out for swarms of stinging jellyfish.
Earlier this week, MCS received a report and photographs of a mass stranding of mauve stinger jellyfish (Pelagica noctiluca) on the north west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A massive swarm of mauve stinger jellyfish was responsible for the loss of 100,000 caged salmon Northern Ireland's only fish farm in 2007, resulting in estimated losses of $2.1 million.
Dawn Purchase, MCS aquaculture officer, said: "The MCS Jellyfish survey not only provides useful data to inform our conservation projects but it can also, as in this case, provide an early warning system for the aquaculture industry on potential damaging jellyfish swarm distributions."
The Marine Conservation Society also has a unique Marine Recording Scheme for Fish Farmers, supported by Scottish Natural Heritage. This scheme allows fish farmers to report the wildlife sightings recorded on site to MCS who then disseminate it around other conservation organisations to inform their own projects.
Ms Purchase said: "Our Marine Recording Scheme helps to inform conservation projects and is also a valuable tool in enabling us to map distribution of species such as these jellyfish. We urge fish farmers to use this facility to help us help them too. MCS has made it even easier for fish farmers to record the marine life they see. Fish farmers can now record sightings online."
Further Reading
 |
- | You can record jellyfish sightings by clicking here. |
