Groundfish Trawlnets Designed to Reduce the Bycatch of Cod

Participants

Luis Ribas [Provincetown, MA]
Michael Pol [Massachusetts Dept Marine Fisheries] Two trawl nets designed to catch flatfish and avoid cod will be tested. Luis Ribas, a Provincetown commercial fisherman, has designed a trawl net with very large mesh all along the middle of the upper half of the net. The second net has been adapted by Arne Carr from a European net design that removes some of the webbing in the upper half of the net, moving the headrope as far back as practical. Both designs are based on the behavior of cod as they swim along in front of a trawl net. Underwater video shows that cod slowly rise as the net overtakes them. Placing large mesh on the top of the net, or removing some of the webbing on top of the net, should allow cod to rise and escape

Sixteen days of gear testing are planned aboard the Blue Skies for this winter. Each net will be tested compared to a standard net, alternating nets every other tow. The goal of this study and the gillnet study is to develop gear that allows fishermen to continue to fish for flatfish without high discards of cod.

For more information on this project, contact Arne Carr (508.563.1779 x117).

Last modified: October 13, 2000