3 Sept 2024

70 years of caring for Fair Isle

Written by Paul Williams

A huge flat fish (skate) lies on the bottom of a boat while a woman leans over it with a measuring tape

Flapper skate being measured as part of Fair Isle's in shore fish survey

The Trust is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Fair Isle coming under its care after the island was acquired from renowned ornithologist George Waterston on 3 September 1954.

The celebration coincides with the expansion of research activity being carried out to better understand Fair Isle’s natural heritage by observing and measuring the health of its marine environment. Researchers built upon previous years’ research by deploying new equipment and technology, which was made possible thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

This funding supported research carried out throughout the summer by researchers from the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) Shetland, in collaboration with the Trust and Fair Isle Marine Research Organisation (FIMRO). The research supports the Fair Isle Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area (DR MPA), the first-ever community-led project of its kind in the country.

This fieldwork involved the tagging of European shag seabirds as part of the fine-scale foraging mapping project. The Trust’s seabird officers and ecologists were able to fit GPS tags to 10 shags with support from the Fair Isle Bird Observatory (FIBO) team. Data from these tags provides important information about where the birds are going to feed and how deep their dives are. This, combined with data from the other research, will provide a holistic view of the health of Fair Isle’s marine environment.

The equipment and technology used to increase the scope of the research included a newly designed kit that was deployed for the first time in the inshore fish survey, which took place at the end of July. A drifting baited remote underwater video benthic (seabed) BRUV lander, designed by UHI Shetland, recorded pelagic fish species (species that live in the mid-water column).

The researchers also used a benthic BRUV lander, designed by the Orkney Skate Trust, to capture an overhead (dorsal) view of mobile fish that assisted researchers in documenting the different species prevalent on the seabed. This new design is particularly useful in identifying flapper skate individuals by their dorsal spots. A new survey trawl net allowed the research team to be more ambitious when negotiating the island’s challenging tides and seabed topography, enabling researchers to cover a more extensive survey area.

FIMRO has also deployed its first FPOD, a piece of passive acoustic monitoring equipment used to detect cetacean (aquatic mammals such as dolphins, whales and porpoises) echolocations. This supports cetacean monitoring around Fair Isle and provides information on their abundance and distribution.

Watch the benthic BRUV lander being deployed.

Underwater overhead view of a brown and white spotted flapper skate, illuminated with a light, with stones on sea bed

Fish feeding on bait at the end of a metal pole, illuminated by a light with green ocean and seabed in the background

Fair Isle Research Officer Katie Cubbon, who co-ordinates the research projects for the Trust and FIMRO, hosted by NatureScot, said: ‘This is the third consecutive inshore fish survey to take place around Fair Isle. The team were able to repeat and expand on previous years’ trawl survey coverage, largely thanks to the new survey trawl net equipment and good weather. The benthic (seabed) habitat and species distribution modelling project survey is due to take place later this month.

‘Initial observations of the catch highlighted a large abundance of adult haddock in combination with various other fish species. The researchers also successfully deployed several baited camera landers that allowed them to monitor species through video footage recorded from the seabed. A new approach adopted this year saw the use of drifting pelagic camera landers thanks to the ingenuity of our research partners at UHI Shetland. Similar to previous years’ survey findings, the footage was dominated by flapper skate, suggesting that Fair Isle may be an area of importance for this species.

‘Following further analysis of the data recorded across the different habitats, we will bring together findings from the shag, inshore fish and benthic surveys to help develop the next steps in the project. UHI Shetland aims to trial the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in benthic modelling, and this, combined with the other findings, will certainly benefit the wider study of seabirds by providing information on important habitats and prey species. In the long term, we hope to continue to build on this baseline data that will help us establish more definite conclusions when considering any potential marine management measures in the future.’

Fisherman with metal observation equipment standing at the side of a boat with open ocean and blue sky in the background

Pelagic drifting baited lander deployment

Dr Shaun Fraser, Senior Fisheries Scientist from UHI Shetland, who led the team conducting the Fair Isle Inshore Fish Survey, said: ‘It was a pleasure to work in Fair Isle and undertake another successful survey of the fish species around the isle this summer. By repeating the survey each year, we can increasingly analyse the data for important patterns and trends. Although this year’s data analysis is ongoing, we have already seen evidence, including some spectacular underwater video footage, that Fair Isle may be an important habitat for some elasmobranch species (sharks, skates and rays). We are continuing to address key knowledge gaps relating to the Fair Isle ecosystem by expanding our survey methods and coverage, and we hope that there will be further support in the future so that we can build on the success so far.’

Fiona Mitchell, FIMRO Trustee, said: ‘FIMRO are delighted to see the People’s Postcode Lottery players supporting the National Trust for Scotland to facilitate existing and exciting new Fair Isle DR MPA research. In developing new research, FIMRO is focused on how the Fair Isle community, through citizen science, can contribute to the DR MPA.’

Katie Cubbon continued: ‘The valuable contribution by players of People’s Postcode Lottery to support these research projects will help us to understand these marine environments better and help to ensure their longevity and sustainability for the future. This research contributes to the wider conservation work the National Trust for Scotland carries out to care for, protect and share Scotland’s rich natural heritage for everyone.’

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“It’s so exciting that Fair Isle is now such a hub of cutting-edge marine research. Studying multiple species and habitats gives us a uniquely holistic view of Fair Isle’s marine habitats. The reward for this hard work is a genuine insight into how Fair Isle’s undersea world, usually hidden from view, is equally as fantastic as the island itself.”

Ellie Owen

The Trust’s Senior Seabird Officer

A woman wearing a red helmet and red floatation jacket stands on a rocky ledge beside a sea inlet. Large rock stacks stand just off shore behind her.

Birds nesting on a rocky out crop with pink flowers in the foreground and a dark sea in the background

Two men standing on a cliff and testing out some tagging equipment for sea birds

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported the Trust’s Love Our Nature project since 2022, which benefited from £900k last year. Further funding awarded through the Postcode Earth Trust this year has supported the conservation research at Fair Isle and across various habitats, including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland, and the eight National Nature Reserves cared for by the Trust.

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: ‘It’s great that our players are supporting the Trust’s vital nature conservation work at Fair Isle in this way. It’s exciting to see new technology being used to help protect Fair Isle’s marine environment and the island communities that rely on it.’

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £3.4m since 2014 to support the National Trust for Scotland.

The Love Our Nature project supports the National Trust for Scotland’s vision to care for, protect and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, as outlined in its 10-year strategy, launched in 2022.