Increasing lateral mesh openings in penaeid trawls to improve selection and reduce drag
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Published source details
Broadhurst M.K., Sterling D.J. & Millar R.B. (2015) Increasing lateral mesh openings in penaeid trawls to improve selection and reduce drag. Fisheries Research, 170, 68-75.
Published source details Broadhurst M.K., Sterling D.J. & Millar R.B. (2015) Increasing lateral mesh openings in penaeid trawls to improve selection and reduce drag. Fisheries Research, 170, 68-75.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
Action | Category | |
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Modify the design or configuration of trawl gear (mixed measures) Action Link |
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Modify the design or configuration of trawl gear (mixed measures)
A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2013–2014 of an area of sand and mud bottom in the Clarence River estuary, Tasman Sea, Australia (Broadhurst et al. 2015) found that modifying a prawn trawl design (wing mesh orientation and hanging ratio) typically reduced the overall catches of unwanted fish by number, but not by weight, compared to a conventional design. Overall catch numbers of unwanted fish were reduced in three of the four modified trawls compared to the conventional trawl (diamond mesh wings, both loose and tight: 35 fish/ha, loose square mesh: 37 fish/ha, conventional: 55 fish/ha), but were similar in the tight square mesh trawl (40 fish/ha). By weight, catch rate of all non-target fish species was reduced only with loose diamond wings (0.7 kg/ha) compared to the conventional trawl (1.1 kg/ha), and was similar between the other three designs and the conventional trawl (0.8 kg/ha). In (austral) summer 2013/2014, four novel trawl configurations (35 mm diamond or square mesh wing/side panels, and loose or tight hanging ratios) were tested against a conventional trawl with 41 mm diamond mesh wings. Twenty-four deployments of each trawl design were conducted on a twin-rigged trawler, paired with another design. All trawls also had a size-sorting escape grid. Full trawl details are provided in the original paper.
(Summarised by: Leo Clarke)
Output references
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