Reducing flatfish bycatch in roundfish fisheries

Abstract

Flatfish bycatch is a concern in many demersal trawl fisheries around the world, especially for fisheries operating under discard-ban regulations. We introduce and assess the performance of FRESWIND (Flatfish Rigid EScape WINDows), a concept for a selection device that reduces flatfish bycatch in roundfish-directed fisheries. The new concept was tested for the first time in the Baltic cod-directed fishery, using a commercial twin trawler. The vessel was rigged with two trawls; one standard trawl gear and one incorporating the experimental FRESWIND. Comparison of the catches from both trawls exhibited up to similar to 68% reduction in flatfish bycatch for the trawl with FRESWIND mounted. In addition, the catch of undersized cod was reduced by similar to 30%, whereas losses of marketable cod were relatively minor (similar to 7%). Further simulations predicted that, in the commercial fishery, a reduction of more than 50% in flatfish bycatch could be achieved if FRESWIND were adopted. Given these promising results, FRESWIND may also provide a method that significantly reduces flatfish bycatch in other fisheries. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

FRESWIND; Selectivity; Mixed fishery; Flatfish; Roundfish; Contact probability; Discard ban; Choke species; Baltic Sea

Published in

Fisheries Research
2016, volume: 184, pages: 64-73
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Nilsson, Hans

  • Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Fish and Aquacultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2015.08.025

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/83299