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HISTORY OF THE DAFF PROJECT

In 1995/96 the national Biological Records Centre (BRC) jointly funded by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) undertook a feasibility study on the preparation of a national dataset and Atlas of freshwater fishes. ITE involved staff at its sister institute, the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (IFE), in this study. 

The study concentrated on the potential for collating relevant data from existing datasets and making greater use of these data, rather than attempting to set up new national-scale data-gathering initiatives. Most datasets are held by organisations rather than by individuals.

It was concluded in the feasibility study that it would be practicable to compile a national summary database and prepare an Atlas, given the willingness of the potential sources of data to contribute at least summary records and sufficient resources to carry out the work over a period of 3 to 5 years. Given the coverage achieved by Maitland (Key to British Freshwater Fishes FBA publ. no.27. 1972), and the amount of survey work done since then, it is not unreasonable to expect that coverage would be at least as good as that achieved for most 'popular' groups, other than birds. 

It was agreed that the database and atlas project should not initiate new surveys of freshwater fishes. Instead it should draw upon existing, dispersed datasets to collate a minimum set of data to answer a limited range of questions about where and when freshwater fishes have been recorded in the UK. After a period of time spent locating and obtaining suitable data sources, data collation began in earnest in 1998. Data collation was completed by at the beginning of 2002. The final report was produced in April 2002.   ‘Freshwater Fishes of Britain’,  containing 10km square distribution maps, species accounts and much more is expected to be published by Harley Books in 2003.


The database does not collate the full range and variety of data held in many different forms by potential contributors (DATA FIELDS). However, a summary index to relevant data (a form of metadata) has been compiled as part of the project, as each contributing source of data was examined. These metadata and summary distribution data will be available on the NBN Gateway.