On electrical fishing for brown shrimp (Crangon crangon): II. Sea trials

Published source details Polet H., Delanghe F. & Verschoore R. (2005) On electrical fishing for brown shrimp (Crangon crangon): II. Sea trials. Fisheries Research, 72, 13-27.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use an electric (pulse) trawl Action Link

Use an electric (pulse) trawl

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2000 of an area of seabed in the North Sea, off Belgium (Polet et al. 2005) found that electric pulse trawls targeting brown shrimp Crangon crangon reduced the amount of some unwanted and undersized fish caught compared to standard trawls. Of 12 comparisons, catches of undersized commercial fish were lower in pulse trawls than in standard trawls for whiting Merlangius merlangus in four (58–69% lower), sole Solea solea in two (41–60%), plaice Pleuronectes platessa in five (40–80%) and dab Limanda limanda in two comparisons (61–65%). Lower catches in pulse trawls were also reported in non-commercial tub gurnard Trigla lucerna (one of three comparisons), pogge Agonus cataphractus (three of 12 comparisons), dragonet Callionymus spp. (two of 10 comparisons) and goby Pomatoschistus spp. (six of 12 comparisons). Catches of six other non-commercial species were similar in both trawl designs. Catches of legal-sized commercial fish were typically similar in pulse trawls and standard trawls, except for lower catches of flounder Platichthys flesus (29–37%) and dab (17%) in one and two of 12 comparisons respectively. In addition, undersized shrimp catches were reduced in 11 of 15 cases. In 2000, experimental fishing was undertaken on the Flemish Banks off the Belgian coast using two beam trawls simultaneously, a standard trawl and an experimental electric pulse trawl, with pulse generators fitted to the beam of the trawl in one of two array configurations. Fifty-seven hauls were completed with the experimental trawl being towed on one side of the vessel and the standard trawl on the other. Full details of trawl design and generator configurations are provided in the original study.

(Summarised by: Leo Clarke)