Commercial Trials of Flexible Trawling Devices Including Soft Trawl Doors

Project participants

Clifford A. Goudey, MIT Sea Grant College Program, Cambridge, MA
email: cgoudey@mit.edu

Capt. Robert C. Kohl, F/V Glenna & Jacob, Fairhaven, MA
email: bcgj@capeonramp.com

Capt. Charles P. Saunders, Cundy's Harbor, ME
maryellen@clinic.net

Project Summary

This project will capitalize on recent results from a Center for Fisheries Engineering Research (CFER) project that applied flexible hydrodynamic devices to control the shape and depth of trawls. These preliminary tests were done at the Marine Institute's flume tank in St. Johns, Nfld., and revealed significant potential benefits for trawl fishermen, including:
  1. reduced habitat impacts by relying less on heavy weight and rigid doors,
  2. trawl shape and depth that is independent of towing speed,
  3. wider mesh openings for improved selectivity,
  4. reduced cost and maintenance requirements for trawl gear, and
  5. less risk on deck from heavy doors and sweeps.
Flexible devices have already been adopted in some fisheries. For example, headrope kites developed by CFER have become standard gear aboard many midwater trawlers fishing in southern New England. We plan to further evaluate the sweep kites, ribbon foil kites, mesh kites, and parafoil trawl doors. Additional model tests are planned with fishermen participating. Based on these specific results, we will fabricate prototype devices from heavy-duty coated fabric for commercial trials aboard the F/V Glenna & Jacob. We will evaluate the devices using underwater video and other net-mounted sensors to determine the effect on trawl shape and depth, contact with the seabed, and the influence on fish behavior. We will also record the catch composition during comparison trials, including counts and sizes of all species.

This project will include significant levels of project outreach in the form of reports, articles, edited video materials, and web-based availability of project results.