removing a tickler chain from a whitefish trawl
to reduce the capture of skates, rays and sharks while retaining commercial species
Target species:
Haddock, whiting and monkfish
Area, Vessel
17 paired alternate hauls took place in the west of Scotland on board the MRV Scotia
Haddock, whiting and monkfish
Area, Vessel
17 paired alternate hauls took place in the west of Scotland on board the MRV Scotia
Gear type:
single trawl
Gear modification
A commercial whitefish trawl was towed both with and without a tickler chain. Tickler chain was 37.5m long, made from 19 mm mid-link chain
single trawl
Gear modification
A commercial whitefish trawl was towed both with and without a tickler chain. Tickler chain was 37.5m long, made from 19 mm mid-link chain
Results:
Removing the tickler chain (i) significantly lowered the catch rate of skates and sharks (ii) had little effect on catch rates of haddock, whiting, and flatfish and (iii) caused a marked decrease in the catch rate of commercially valuable anglerfish.
Removing the tickler chain (i) significantly lowered the catch rate of skates and sharks (ii) had little effect on catch rates of haddock, whiting, and flatfish and (iii) caused a marked decrease in the catch rate of commercially valuable anglerfish.
Further information:
Kynoch, R. J. et al., 2015. A simple technical measure to reduce bycatch and discard of skates and sharks in mixed-species bottom-trawl fisheries. ICES JMarSci 72: 1861–1868.
Kynoch, R. J. et al., 2015. A simple technical measure to reduce bycatch and discard of skates and sharks in mixed-species bottom-trawl fisheries. ICES JMarSci 72: 1861–1868.
Citation :
Kynoch, R.J. et al.
, 2017.
removing a tickler chain from a whitefish trawl
. In O’Neill, F.G. and Mutch, K. (Eds): Selectivity in Trawl Fishing Gears. Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 8 No 1.