New policies may call for new approaches: the case of the Swedish Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) fisheries in the Kattegat and Skagerrak

Published source details Hornborg S., Jonsson P., Sköld M., Ulmestrand M., Valentinsson D., Ritzau E.O., Feekings J., Nielsen J.R., Bastardie F. & Lövgren J. (2017) New policies may call for new approaches: the case of the Swedish Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) fisheries in the Kattegat and Skagerrak. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 74, 134-145.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use an alternative commercial fishing method Action Link

Use an alternative commercial fishing method

A replicated study in 2011–2013 in seabed areas in Kattegat and Skagerrak, Sweden (Hornborg et al. 2017) found that fishing for Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus with baited creels reduced the capture of unwanted fish compared to bottom trawling using a size-sorting escape grids and mixed bottom trawling. The amount of catch discarded/landed amount of Nephrops was lower in creels (sharks/rays Elasmobranchii: 0.00, plaice Pleuronectes platessa: 0.00, sole Solea solea: 0.00, other flatfish: 0.01, cod Gadus morhua: 0.07, other cod-like fish: 0.02 kg discard/kg landed Nephrops) compared to both trawling types, and highest with mixed trawling (grid trawling, sharks/rays: 0.00, plaice: 0.15, sole: 0.01, other flatfish: 0.86, cod: 0.06, other gadoid fish: 0.10 kg discard/kg landed Nephrops; mixed trawling, sharks/rays: 0.15, plaice: 0.44, sole: 0.02, other flatfish: 0.75, cod: 0.51, other cod-like fish: 0.55 kg discard/kg landed Nephrops). In addition, discarded Norway lobster was reduced in creels (creels: 0.13, grid and mixed trawling: 0.71 kg discard/kg and average size was larger (creel: 46 mm, grid trawl: 38 mm, mixed trawl: 38 mm). Data were obtained from the Swedish fishing fleet logbooks between 2011 and 2013. Typically, mixed trawlers used a minimum mesh size of 90 mm with selective panels of various sizes fitted. Grid trawlers used a 35 mm Swedish grid and a 70–89 mm square mesh codend. Creels were static, baited pots arranged as 40–70 connected pots.

(Summarised by: Chris Barrett)