These map layers provide information on the location of spawning and nursery areas of several forage fish species in Welsh and surrounding waters, including the Irish and Celtic Seas and the western English Channel. These layers are provided for eleven fish species that are prey to marine mammals and seabirds: herring, sprat, sardine, anchovy, sandeel, horse mackerel, mackerel and garfish as well as the gadoid species poor cod, whiting and cod. Using survey data from 2008 to 2020, hotspot maps were created for adults and juveniles of each of the species, for two periods of the year (Quarter 1 and Quarter 4). A full description of the hotspot methodology used can be found in Campanella and van der Kooij (2021). Source: Cefas Includes Crown copyright, Cefas 2023.