Fit one or more mesh escape panels/windows to trawl nets and use a square mesh instead of a diamond mesh codend

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

65%
Certainty

30%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a cone-shaped fishing net (trawl) through the water behind one or more boats. The net is wide at the opening and narrows to a bag or ‘codend’, tied at the end with a drawstring, where organisms are trapped. Trawl nets can catch a considerable number of unwanted organisms, including non-commercially targeted species and organisms under the legal-size limit. Standard trawl nets are made from diamond-shaped mesh. To reduce the amount of unwanted organisms, a net can be modified by fitting one or more mesh “escape panels” in the outer mesh of the net before the codend, in combination with a codend made of square mesh instead of diamond mesh. These modifications are designed to allow smaller unwanted organisms to escape the main body of the net and the codend, while retaining the commercially targeted organisms.

Evidence related to the use of each modification (mesh panels and square-mesh codend) separately, are summarised under “Threat: Biological resource use – Fit one or more mesh escape panels/windows to trawl nets” and “Use a square mesh instead of a diamond mesh codend on trawl nets”.

Study locations

Key messages

One study examined the effects of fitting one or more mesh escape panels to trawl nets and using a square mesh instead of a diamond mesh codend on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the English Channel (UK).

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY)

Unwanted catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the English Channel found that trawl nets fitted with two large square mesh release panels and a square mesh codend caught fewer unwanted catch of non-commercial invertebrates compared to standard trawl nets.

OTHER (1 STUDY)

Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the English Channel found that trawl nets fitted with two large square mesh release panels and a square mesh codend caught fewer commercial shellfish, and fewer but more valuable commercially important fish, compared to standard trawl nets.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2007 in two areas of the English Channel, southwest England, UK (Wade et al. 2009) found that fishing with a trawl net fitted with a square mesh codend and two large square mesh release panels (“bycatch reduction devices”) reduced the biomass of non-commercial unwanted invertebrate catch (discard) compared to a standard trawl. Across the two areas, the modified trawls caught 39–45% less invertebrate discard (349–730 kg) compared to the standard trawls (635–1,207 kg). However, they caught 22–82% fewer commercial shellfish (94–101 individuals), compared to standard trawls (120–570 individuals). The modified trawls also caught 22% less commercially important fish in one area, but those were worth more per kg than the fish caught in the standard trawls. Two designs of trawl nets were towed simultaneously: a modified beam trawl with an 80 mm square mesh codend and fitted with two large 200 mm square mesh release panels (one to release weed and one to release invertebrates), and the industry standard beam trawl with an 80 mm diamond mesh codend. Seven to nine tows/area were conducted in July–August 2007. The catch was sorted into commercially important species (target and non-target commercial catch) and discard species. Commercial organisms were counted, and discards were further sorted into benthic invertebrates and finfish and each were weighed.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Wade O., Revill A.S., Grant A. & Sharp M. (2009) Reducing the discards of finfish and benthic invertebrates of UK beam trawlers. Fisheries Research, 97, 140-147.

Please cite as:

Lemasson, A.J., Pettit, L.R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Subtidal Benthic Invertebrate Conservation. Pages 635-732 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Subtidal Benthic Invertebrate Conservation

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