The artisanal fishery of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in Cabrera National Park, Spain: comparative study on traditional and modern traps with trammel nets

Published source details Amengual-Ramis J.F., Vázquez-Archdale M., Cánovas-Pérez C. & Morales-Nin B. (2016) The artisanal fishery of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in Cabrera National Park, Spain: comparative study on traditional and modern traps with trammel nets. Fisheries Research, 179, 23-32.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use traps instead of fishing nets Action Link
	Modify the design of traps Action Link

Use traps instead of fishing nets

A replicated, controlled study in 2011–2012 of seabed composed of mud, kelp, and maërl, off the southeastern coast of Mallorca, Mediterranean Sea, Spain (Amengual-Ramis et al. 2016) found that experimental designs of lobster traps appeared to catch different combined amounts of non-commercial unwanted invertebrates and fish (discard) than commercially used trammel nets, but the amount varied with trap design. Data were not statistically tested. When comparing similar length-deployment for each fishing design, the amount of discard caught in plastic traps (3 individuals/450 m) tended to be lower than in trammel nets (5.7), but higher in collapsible traps (16). Catches of legal-size commercially targeted lobsters tended to be lower in traps (0–0.3 lobsters/450 m) than in trammel nets (1.3). In May–September 2011, traps (900/design) were deployed at 50–100 m depth for 24h (see paper for details of each design). Lobsters and unwanted species caught were counted and measured in each trap. Baited traps were deployed in two 450 m-long strings of 30 traps each (one line/design; >200 m apart). In May–August 2012, similar data for trammel nets were obtained onboard commercial vessels (119 nets, 50 m each, deployed overnight).

(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson & Laura Pettit)
Modify the design of traps

A replicated, controlled study in 2011–2012 of seabed composed of mud, kelp, and maërl, off the southeastern coast of Mallorca, western Mediterranean Sea, Spain (Amengual-Ramis et al. 2016) found that plastic lobster traps appeared to catch lower amounts of non-commercial unwanted catch (discard) than collapsible traps. Data were not statistically tested. The amount of discard caught in plastic traps (3 individuals/450 m) tended to be lower than in collapsible traps (16). In addition, plastic traps caught some legal-size commercially targeted lobsters (0.3/450 m), while collapsible traps caught none. In May–September 2011, two new designs of traps, plastic and collapsible (900/design), were deployed at 50–100 m depth for 24 h (see original paper for details of each design). Lobsters and discard species caught were counted and measured in each trap. Baited traps were deployed in two 450 m-long strings of 30 traps each (one line/design; >200 m apart).

(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson & Laura Pettit)