Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
It carries out a wide range of research, advisory, consultancy, monitoring and training activities for a large number of customers around the world.
They also undertake work for international and UK government departments (central and local), the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), commercial organisations, non-governmental and environmental organisations, regulators and enforcement agencies, local authorities and other public bodies.
[5] In 1902, the Marine Biological Association opened a sub-station in Pakefield a suburb of Lowestoft, Suffolk to research the Fishing industry.
[5] In 1927–1928 Michael Graham was dispatched from the Lowestoft laboratory by the Colonial Office and conducted the first ever systematic Fisheries Survey of Lake Victoria.
[6] After the second world war, radiobiological facilities were installed to advise on the safe disposal of radioactive substances at sea.
The migration routes of plaice stocks were identified and the deterioration in the North Sea herring fishery was investigated.
Although the period 1964–1982 probably saw the fullest flowering of fisheries research, per se, at Lowestoft, the increasing awareness of both politicians and the public about the importance of maintaining the quality of the marine environment, meant that an increasing proportion of the work programme of that period was devoted to problems associated with investigating both radioactive and non-radioactive contamination at sea.
The role of the laboratory was expanded in 1957 to cover work on pollution, and by the mid-60s began to take the lead in the investigation of environmental protection problems, with the exception of those arising from radioactive waste.
Early studies concentrated on determining the toxic effects of various contaminants and surveying their levels in coastal waters and inshore fisheries.
The scheme is regulated by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), using scientific and environmental advice from Cefas and the Fisheries Research Services (FRS).
