A novel escape panel for trawl nets used in the Irish Sea Nephrops fishery

Published source details Briggs R.P. (2010) A novel escape panel for trawl nets used in the Irish Sea Nephrops fishery. Fisheries Research, 105, 118-124.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Modify the configuration of a mesh escape panel/window in a trawl net Action Link

Modify the configuration of a mesh escape panel/window in a trawl net

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2008–2009 of seabed areas in the Irish Sea, off Northern Ireland, UK (Briggs 2010) found that prawn trawl nets with a modified design and position of square mesh escape panel caught fewer unwanted haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus and whiting Merlangius merlangus compared with the standard trawl design and configuration used in the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus fishery. The percentage total catch of unwanted haddock and whiting was lower in the trawl with a modified square mesh panel (haddock: 32%, whiting: 26%) than the trawl with a standard panel (haddock: 68%, whiting: 74%). In addition, capture of the target Norway lobster were the same (modified: 50%, standard: 50%). Trials were conducted in October 2008–March 2009 using a twin-rig vessel towing two trawl nets simultaneously. One was an experimental net with two 120 mm square mesh panels located 8.9 m from the codend and separated by a strip of 80 mm diamond mesh 12 meshes wide. The other was a standard 80 mm mesh net with a standard 80 mm square mesh panel 2.1 m from the codend. A total of 16 trawl deployments of 3–4 hours were completed, and nets were regularly swapped between port and starboard sides.

(Summarised by: Chris Barrett)