Assessing patterns of ichthyofauna discarded by an artisanal shrimp fishery through selectivity experiments in a coastal lagoon

Published source details Poot-Salazar A., Pérez-Castañeda R., Vega-Cendejas M.E. & Defeo O. (2009) Assessing patterns of ichthyofauna discarded by an artisanal shrimp fishery through selectivity experiments in a coastal lagoon. Fisheries Research, 97, 155-162.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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	Use a larger mesh size Action Link

Use a larger mesh size

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2000 in an estuarine lagoon in the Gulf of Mexico, off Mexico (Poot-Salazar et al. 2009, same experimental set-up as Burgos-León et al. 2009) found that increasing the mesh size in a shrimp trawl codend improved the size-selectivity for fish, compared to a smaller conventional mesh size. The length at which fish had a 50% of escape was greater with a larger 25 mm mesh codend than a standard 13 mm mesh for four of the five most commonly caught species: lined sole Achirus lineatus (large: 31 mm, standard: 15 mm), Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus (large: 42 mm, standard: 21 mm), silver jenny Eucinostomus gula (large: 51 mm, standard: 21 mm) and pinfish Lagodon rhomboides (large: 53 mm, standard: 24 mm). The other species, American silver perch Bardiella chrysoura was only caught with the 13 mm mesh. Fishing was carried out in February, April and September 2000 at three sites in the Celestun Lagoon. At each site two bottom nets were deployed simultaneously: an experimental 25 mm mesh net and a conventional 13 mm mesh net. Nets were cone-shaped with openings of 2.45 m width and 1.25 m height. Small mesh covers over each codend collected fish escaping through the meshes. At each site, nets were hand-hauled 100 m, parallel to the shore at 1.2 m depth. All catch was sorted and fish lengths recorded.

(Summarised by: Chris Barrett)