A collaborative approach to marine species tracking: Insights from the Fish Intel Acoustic Telemetry Network

Acoustic telemetry offers valuable insights into species' spatial and temporal movement patterns, helping to understand habitat use, behaviour and migration timings. The Fish Intel Network established a collaborative cross-English Channel acoustic telemetry network to track multiple species over small and large spatial scales. This network was designed in close alliance with local fishers to incorporate essential local ecological knowledge of target species and habitats, gathered through interviews and workshops. To date, 254 acoustic receivers have been deployed, and 874 animals have been tagged across the Channel. Six species were tracked for this study: European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius), Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus), thinlip mullet (Chelon ramada) and crawfish (Palinurus elephas). Key lessons learned from the project include emphasising the value of local and international collaboration, equipment compatibility and local ecological knowledge to provide vital data for establishing an acoustic telemetry network. Provide practical solutions for issues with receiver functionality and data ownership, and advocate for the integration of local ecological knowledge with acoustic telemetry in future tracking studies to enhance the understanding and management of marine species. Solution: International and local collaboration, using compatible telemetry equipment with joint data sharing.