This work was carried out as part of the Fisheries Science Partnership (FSP)
programme. The aim of this project was to further develop a selective Net Grid
trawl with two cod ends to improve performance and enable skippers to better
match their catch compositions to their quota allocations. The information
from the trials will help skippers adapt to the Landing Obligation by avoiding
unwanted fish in a fishery identified as having relatively high discard rates
and will demonstrate to managers the level of selectivity improvement that is
currently achievable to help formulate Discard Plans. The specific objective
was to modify the escape area in the Net Grid to retain selected commercial
species and minimise catches of unwanted fish. This was achieved by conducting
field trials of a modified Net Grid trawl with two cod ends – a lower cod end
to retain primarily the Nephrops and an upper cod end to retain and
select for commercial fish.
At each station sampled, shot and haul, positional and times information were
recorded, and for all species of fish length distribution data were taken.
