Imperial College London
Grantham Institute for Climate Change
Department of Life Sciences
Silwood Park Campus
Buckhurst Road
Ascot, Berkshire,
SL5 7PY, UK
t: +44 (0)7939 254 564
e: alex.tidd @ cefas.co.uk
Current research
I am a fisheries scientist working within the Marine Systems Dynamics division at the Centre for the Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (an agency of DEFRA) in the UK. While working at Cefas I have progressively gained experience in data collection, analysis and development of innovative approaches to management.
My knowledge has been gained though extensive fieldwork on government research vessels and commercial fishing vessels, where I now have responsibility as Scientist in Charge of the annual Data Collection Regulation (DCR) and the western approaches, Celtic Sea, Irish Sea 4th quarter International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS). I also have sampling experience at major English fishing ports, this experience has given me an insight into how data are collected and used in the assessment of the key commercial species and has helped me when analysing these data.
Most of my scientific research has been conducted within a variety of EU Commission-funded research projects. My specific input has been analysis of large data sets using SAS and R. For example multivariate/General linear models (GLM)/Random Utility Models (RUM)/Exit-Entry in order to define fleets for DCR, to better understand the relationship between Fishing Mortality and Effort and to compare alternative management options. Furthermore I have had some exposure to fisheries econometric methodology. I have also been involved in biological and ecological analyses e.g. otolith micro chemistry.
I have also been a contract leader in the European Commission project CAFE, Capacity, F and Effort and Flatnose, Scientific advice concerning the impact of the gears used to catch plaice and sole. This experience, particularly within international projects, has further increased my appetite to advance my skills and so I have enrolled upon a PhD program at Imperial College London in Bio-economics in order to better understand fisher behaviour. Within my current research I am further developing random utility models to evaluate fisher tactics to see how they respond effort restrictions and unintended side effects that might mean the measure is ineffective or has impacts on other protected species. Further to the short term tactics I am developing long term strategic economic models to address the problem of over capacity and am evaluating the short term and long term effects of decommissioning and I hope to provide stakeholders with a tool to present trade-offs and benefits of management.
Supervision and Funding
This PhD research is jointly supervised by Dr Julia Blanchard and Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland. The research is funded by Defra, contract M1201. Publications and Posters
Tidd, A. N., Hutton, T., Kell, L.T, and Padda, G. (submitted IJMS, OCT2010) Stick, gamble, or twist? Exit and entry of fishing vessels in the North Sea English beam trawl fleet.
Tidd, A. N., Hutton, T., Kell, L.T, and Blanchard, J.L. (submitted IJMS SEPT2010) Effort reallocation in mixed fisheries in response to management
Stephanie Mahévas, Youen Vermard, Nicolas Goascoz, Trevor Hutton, Ane Iriondo, Angélique Jadaud, Christos Maravelias, Paul Marchal, Serge Mortreux, Antonio Punzón , Jacques Sacchi, David Roos, Alex Tidd, Efthymia Tsitsika, (OCT 2010 submitted IJMS) An investigation of human versus technological variation in catchability for a selection of European fleets.
Ane Iriondo, Dorleta GarcÃa, Marina Santurtún, José Castro, Iñaki Quincoces, Sigrid Lehuta, Stephanie Mahévas, Paul Marchal, Alex Tidd , Clara Ulrich (OCT2010 submitted to Canadian Journal of fisheries and aquatic science). Managing Mixed Fisheries in the European Western Waters: application of Fcube methodology.
T. Hutton (CEFAS), A.N. Tidd (CEFAS) and P. Wattage (in prep) Estimating relationships between capacity and effort: a case study on the English North Sea Beam and Otter trawl fishing fleets
Hutton, T.,A, Mardle, S, Tidd, A. N., Advances in Fisheries Science (2008) (Book Chapter) The decline of the fishing fleets along the English and Welsh Coastline. 50 years on from Beverton and Holt. Blackwell Publishing, Eds: A. Payne, J. Cotter, and T. Potter, pages 26-48.
Pilling, G. M., Kell, L. T., Hutton, T., Bromley, P. J., Tidd, A. N., and Bolle, L. J. 2008. Can economic and biological management objectives be achieved by the use of MSY-based reference points? A North Sea plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and sole (Solea solea) case study. – ICES Journal of marine Science, 65: 1069-1080.
T.L. Catchpole, A.N. Tidd, L.T. Kell, A.R. Revill and G. Dunlin (2007) The potential for new Nephrops trawl designs to positively effect North Sea stocks of cod, haddock and whiting. Fisheries Research, 86: 262-267
G.M. Pilling, R.S. Millner, M.W. Easey, D. Maxwell, A. Tidd (2007) Phenology and North Sea cod (Gadus morhua): has climate change affected otolith annulus formation and cod growth? Journal of Fish Biology 70, 584-599
A.Tidd and S.Warnes (2007) Species distributions from Celtic Sea groundfish surveys 1992 – 2003. Technical Report
Trenkel, V.M., Pinnegar, J.K., Dawson, W.A., Du Buit, M.H. and Tidd, A.N., (2005) Spatial and temporal structure of predator-prey relationships in the Celtic Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 299: 257-268.
Blanchard, J.L., Dulvy N.K. , Ellis, J.E. , Jennings S. , Pinnegar, J.K. , Tidd, A. & Kell, L.T. (2005) Do climate and fishing influence size-based indicators of Celtic Sea fish community structure? ICES Journal of Marine Scienc, .62: 405-411.
Trenkel, V.M., Pinnegar, J.K. & Tidd A.N. (2004) Can multispecies models be expected to provide better assessments for Celtic Sea groundfish stocks? ICES CM 2004/ FF:05.
Pinnegar, J.K., Trenkel, V.M., Tidd, A.N., Dawson, W.A. and Du Buit, M.H. (2003). Does diet in Celtic Sea fishes reflect prey availability? Journal of Fish Biology, 63 (Supplement A): 197-212.
Posters
J.L. Blanchard, N.K. Dulvy, J.E. Ellis, S. Jennings, J.K. Pinnegar, A. Tidd and L.T. Kell Fishing and environmental effects on size-based indicators of Celtic Sea fish community structure? ICES Annual Science Conference, Vigo, Spain, September 2004.
G. Pilling, R. Millner, M. Easey and A. Tidd Has climate change affected the timing of growth in North Sea cod? Third International Symposium on Fish Otolith Research and Application
Research Projects 2001-2003 Ongoing development of structurally detailed, statistically testable fishery models. (DST2) for client EU Commission.
Developed international landings database and provided support for GADGET and BORMICON models.
2002-2005 Integrated approach to the biological basis of age estimation in commercially important fish species (IBACS) for client EU Commission.
Otolith microchemistry expert looking at temperature experienced by individual fish in relation to the formation of different otolith features.
2002-2005 Technological developments and tactical adaptations of important EU fleets (TECTAC) for client EU Commission.
Developed English landings, discards and vessel monitoring system (VMS) database. Defined fleets and fisheries using multivariate techniques. Looked at relationship between fleet dynamics, management and other external factors.
2003-2007 Nephrops and Cetacean Species Selection Information and Technology (NECESSITY) for client EU Commission.
Developed models to assess the effect on introducing new trawls within the fleet targeting Nephrops and how they positively affect North Sea gadoids.
2006-2008 Operational Evaluation Tools for Fisheries Management Options (EFIMAS) for client EU Commission.
Defined North Sea fleets and fisheries for English landings database/linked to necessity.
2006-2009 (Project manager) Capacity, F and Effort (CAFE) for client EU Commission.
Project managed CAFE for final year. Developed random utility models (RUM) to predict fisher location choice and exit/entry strategies. Developed random effects CPUE models for standardising fishing effort. Developed models and software for management strategy evaluation (MSE) for the project and worked on case studies including North Sea demersal.
2006-2007 Creation of Multi-Annual Management Plans for Commitment (COMMIT) for client EU Commission.
Introduced and developed a content management system and website for project communication.
2007-2009 A framework for fleet and area based fisheries management (AFRAME) for client EU Commission.
Developing of models and software for Western waters and the North Sea case study.
2006-2007 Fisheries Interactions (MO322) for client DEFRA.
Definiton of functional units for NWWRAC (North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council).
2008-2009 Judgement and Knowledge in Fisheries Involving stakeholders (JAKFISH) for client EU Commission.
Development of generic MSE tools.
2008- current (Project manager) Scientific advice concerning the impact of the gears used to catch plaice and sole (FLATNOSE) for client EU Commission.
2008 – June SGRST-08-02 : Harvest Control Rules (STECF sub group)
Invited expert to provide suggestions for changes to the EU commission rules, in order to improve long-term yields, reduce costs, and to improve the stability of fishing operations and markets.
2009 lead bid for Cefas on the DG_MARE lot 1 bid, Fishing capacity and effort indicators and their relation with effective fishing effort and fishing mortalit
