Marine plastic pollution and continuous capture of marine animals, so-called “ghost fishing”, by abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) are global concerns. This study investigated whether biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) monofilaments can be used to replace conventionally used non-biodegradable polyamide (PA) in trammel net fishery for limiting ALDFG associated effects. It ...

The Nordmøre grid is widely used in shrimp trawls to reduce the bycatch of fish species. However, small-sized fish species and juveniles still pass through the grid and enter the codend, along with the targeted shrimp. This bycatch of small fish has a negative impact on the ecosystem due to increased fish mortality, and leads to additional sorting work onboard. Some small-sized fish that enter the ...

In the Barents Sea commercial snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery, an increase in catch efficiency of the conical pots is important for the profitability of the industry. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have previously been tested for increasing catch efficiency of the snow crab pots. These earlier experiments have shown varying results ranging from large increase in snow crab catches to no ...

The striped venus clam Chamelea gallina is the target of a large fleet of hydraulic dredgers, which represent an important fishing sector in terms of income and landings in the Mediterranean Sea. Although there is information on the catch rates, impact and discards related to this fishery, the size selection process carried out by the dredge during trawl under commercial conditions is practically ...

A new codend concept developed and tested exhibited significantly improved quality of caught cod (<i>Gadus morhua</i>) compared to that of the conventional codend used in the Barents Sea bottom trawl fishery. However, the design of the new quality-improving codend raised concerns about its size selectivity and the possibility that higher retention probability could negatively impact the catch pattern ...

We investigated the effect of bait type and bait size on the catch ef fi ciency of a demersal longline fi shery targeting European Hake Merluccius merluccius in the North Sea. Automation of the labor-intensive processes onboard fi shing vessels requires fi nding alternatives to the traditional bait used in the fi shery (i.e., whole European Pilchard Sardina pilchardus ). Of the six ...

This study aims at improving fishery management by testing and comparing the size selectivity and exploitation pattern of diamond-mesh codends, with mesh sizes ranging from 25 to 54 mm, for cocktail shrimp (Trachypenaeus curvirostris) in the South China Sea (SCS). Beginning from 25 mm, the minimum mesh size regulated by the shrimp trawl fishery industry, we investigated how the mesh sizes of ...

Damage incurred during the catch process is an indicator of the overall quality of fish and fish welfare. Because catch quality is difficult to improve once it has deteriorated, it is important to preserve quality during the catch process. Atlantic cod (<i>Gadus morhua</i>) is the most important species in the Barents Sea bottom trawl fishery. Bottom trawling is a non-benign fishing method, and it ...

Sorting grids are introduced in trawl fisheries to improve size selectivity and reduce the variability of results obtained with sorting devices constructed of netting e.g., codends. Grids are rigid or semi-rigid structures where the bar spacing defines the sizes of fish that can pass through. However, for size selection to occur, fish need to be oriented towards the grid in specific ways, which ...

Bycatch of rays and skates in towed fishing gears represents one of the major threats to these relatively slow-growing marine species. The objective of this study was to modify ground gear in a bottom trawl fishery to increase the escape of these species during towing without associated loss of target catch. Sea trials were carried out with a research vessel in Mersin Bay, North-eastern Mediterranean. ...