A Game of Two Halves
Reducing unwanted fish catches in the Nephrops Fisheries with a dual codend
Reducing unwanted fish catches in the Nephrops Fisheries with a dual codend
BIM has published a paper in the journal Fisheries Research which demonstrates the benefits of a novel double codend trawl with inclined separator panels in mixed Nephrops fisheries. The gear substantially reduced catches of small haddock and whiting while generally maintaining market sized Nephrops and fish catches. Highly effective species separation facilitates alternative selectivity measures depending on landing obligation requirements. Additional benefits include reduced catch sorting times were outlined and the gear has been implemented as a gear option in the Celtic Sea.