The AusTED II, an improved trawl efficiency device 2. Commercial performance

Published source details Robins J.B. & McGilvray J.G. (1999) The AusTED II, an improved trawl efficiency device 2. Commercial performance. Fisheries Research, 40, 29-41.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Fit a size-sorting escape grid (rigid or flexible) to a prawn/shrimp trawl net Action Link

Fit a size-sorting escape grid (rigid or flexible) to a prawn/shrimp trawl net

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 1994 of three areas of sand and mud seabed in the Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia (Robins & McGilvray 1999) found that prawn trawl nets fitted with a flexible size-sorting escape grid caught less unwanted fish catch and overall unwanted catch (fish and invertebrates combined) than conventional trawl nets with no grid. In one of one comparison in which fish catch was separated from invertebrate catch, nets with a grid caught 15% less fish (2.3 kg/tow) than conventional nets (2.7 kg/tow). In four of four comparisons, grid nets caught 15–49% less unwanted catch (14–50 kg/tow) than conventional nets (17–62 kg/tow). In addition, one shark (species not given) was caught in grid nets compared to three rays Rhinobatos spp. in conventional nets (results not tested for statistical significance). Target prawn Penaeidae catches were reduced (9–36% lower) in modified nets in two of four comparisons. In 1994, experimental trawl deployments were undertaken at three sites in the Queensland east coast fishery. One codend fitted with an AusTED II (a modification of the original AusTED design) escape grid and one conventional codend were towed simultaneously for 60–180 min. Codend catches were kept separate and the target and non-target portions were sorted and weighed for each net after every tow.

(Summarised by: Leo Clarke)