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Between 2009 and 2021 almost the complete beam trawl fleet of the Netherlands switched from conventional beam trawls (BT) to pulse trawls (PT) using electrical stimulation to catch sole, Solea solea. Electric fishing, being banned in the EU in 1988, was made possible in 2006 under a derogation. Over the years stakeholders expressed concern about ecosystem effects. Here we review the research conducted. PT improved the selectivity of the fishery and reduced the ecological side effects. PT caught more sole per hour fishing but less discards and benthos than BT. The transition to PT reduced the surface area swept (lower towing speed), sediment depth of disturbance and associated benthic impacts, as well as fuel consumption. Laboratory experiments with 9 fish and 17 benthic invertebrate species showed that exposure to a commercial bipolar pulse stimulus did not result in harmful effects except in cod. Autopsy of cod sampled from PT revealed that 40% had an internal injury. Injury rates in other roundfish species was low (< 2%) and absent in flatfish. Electrical-induced impacts on biogeochemistry were not observed. The transition increased competition with other fishers which fed the resentment against PT. Governance arrangements under which the number of temporary licenses expanded, undermined legitimacy of the gear, resulting in a ban in 2021. Although questions about the ecological impact of electrical stimulation remain, adverse effects are considered negligible in comparison with the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of bar spacing of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) should consider species composition and morphometric characteristics (particularly width) of target species krill and bycatch. This study conducted a scientific investigation of the finfish bycatch in the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) trawl fishery by the fishing vessel SHEN LAN in the waters surrounding the South Orkney Islands from December 24, 2022, to February 20, 2023. The results show that scientific observers sampled 676 individuals of finfish bycatch. Of these, 665 were identified to species (17 species from 8 families), while the remaining 11 specimen were juveniles of the Nototheniidae family that could not be identified to the species level. IRI (index of relative importance) calculations showed three dominant (IRI value greater than 1,000) finfish bycatch species (Champsocephalus gunnari, Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, and C. aceratus from the Channichthyidae family) and four important (IRI value between 1,000 and 100) finfish bycatch species (Electrona carlsbergi and Gymnoscopelus nicholsi fromthe Myctophidae family, Gobionotothen gibberifrons from the Nototheniidae family, and Notolepis coatsi from the Paralepididae family). Our study provides morphometric data (particularly body width) that is crucial to model the potential for bycatch reduction by use of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and to determine the appropriate candidate bar spacings for BRD sea trials. Predictions suggest that a 10 mm (the maximum body width of krill) bar spacing releases a significant amount of dominant and important bycatch species (93.94% of C. gunnari, 53.99% of P. georgianus, 76.25% of C. aceratus, and 100% of G. gibberifrons). Reduced fishing pressure would reduce the risks to dominant and important bycatch species to make the krill fishery sustainable. We recommend that future BRD sea trials should initially test a 10mmbar spacing. Ifmarked loss of krill is observed, wider spacings (e.g. 15 mm) must be tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silver pomfret fish Pampus candidus (Previously known as Pampus argenteus Euphrasen) was collected from Iraqi marine waters in the northwest Persian Gulf between April and December 2021, using gillnet and demersal trawling. The lengths and weights of fish were recorded, along with data on the initial maturity length, sex ratio, gonadosomatic index (GSI), Dobriyal index, gonad maturation, development cycle, and absolute fecundity rate. The forked length of female individuals varied from 248 to 281mm, whereas that of male individuals ranged from 124 to 194mm. In July, young fish began to appear. Male individuals had a somehow shorter period of sexual maturity compared to female counterparts. Furthermore, it is noted that males tend to be generally less in size compared to females. The length at first maturity female and male was recorded as 203 and 115mm, respectively. The sex ratio tends to increase for males, and there were two peaks in the rise of the gonadosomatic index and Dobriyal's index, which indicate two periods of spawning activity during June and September. Six stages of fish maturity have been identified, with differences in the size of the eggs. They had a long and continuous breeding season that lasted from May to November, and they spawned by releasing eggs in batches. Notably, they have two distinct reproductive periods: The first during May and June and the second during October and November. The relationship of fecundity with weight was found to be more representative than with length. The document mentions that the silver pomfret spawning and nursery areas are adjacent to the Shatt al-Arab discharge area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides new insights onto spatial and temporal trends of seafloor macro-litter in the abyssal seafloor of Sardinian channel, in central western Mediterranean (Italy). Trawl surveys were conducted at depths between 884 and 1528 m, thus focusing on one of the least investigated marine environments. None of the considered sites was litter free, with plastics being numerically dominant (57% of items), followed by metal (11%) and glass (16%). Recorded densities and weight ranged between 49.9 and 499 items km−2 and 1.4 and 1052 kg km−2. In the most contaminated sites, the weight of the litter collected in nets represented up to nine times the biomass of benthic megafauna, and, overall, in 60% of hauls macro-litter mass outweighed the biomass collected. Moreover, we report that megafauna was observed to be more abundant in sites where macro-litter presence was more severe. More studies are needed to elucidate the nature of this correlation, with biota being more abundant in hotspots of accumulation of seafloor macro-litter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea coral assemblages are marine biodiversity hot spots. Because of their life history traits, deep-sea corals are highly vulnerable to the impacts of human activities such as fishing. The critically endangered "bamboo coral" Isidella elongata is a key structuring species of deep muddy bottoms that is susceptible to habitat destruction, particularly from trawling. A shallow population of this species was recently discovered by a multibeam and ROV survey offshore of the Asinara Island marine protected area (MPA) (northwestern Sardinia, NW Mediterranean Sea). This vulnerable marine assemblage has been found under healthy conditions at depths ranging from 110 to 298 m. Isidella elongata occurs on a muddy seafloor locally characterised by boulders associated with black coral species (Parantipathes larix and Antipathes dichotoma). The lush colonies of I. elongata seem to be related to natural protection from bottom trawling activity; nevertheless, the presence of lost fishing artisanal nets has been observed in the study area. These structuring species are indicators of vulnerable marine ecosystems, and their conservation is essential for preserving marine biodiversity. Therefore, enlarging the perimeter of the Asinara Island MPA into its deeper western waters is suggested to ensure the protection of these valuable and vulnerable marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the spatial temporal distribution characteristics of Illex argentinus caught by trawl fishing vessels in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and their relationship with key marine environmental factors, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial changes in the fishing ground center of trawl vessels at the ten-day scale from December 2019 to May 2022, combining Chinese trawl fishing log data marine environmental data with satellite remote sensing marine environmental data. Utilizing the Maxent model, ten-day intervals were used as the temporal scale, and ten marine environmental factors, including sea surface temperature, sea surface height, sea surface salinity, chlorophyll concentration, temperature at 50 m and 100 m depth, and the meridional and zonal velocities of ocean currents were quantitatively analyzed to explore the correlation between the spatial distribution of catch and environmental factors. The study reveals that the trawl fishing grounds for Illex argentinus are divided into southern and northern grounds. The southern grounds first appear near 45°20′ S in December, gradually moving southeastward in February and March. The northern grounds do not appear until April, near 42° S in the high seas. On the ten-day time scale, the central fishing grounds of Illex argentinus show significant spatial variability but minor interannual differences. The Maxent model results indicate that sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration are the key environmental factors influencing the spatial and temporal variability of the high seas trawl fishing grounds for most of the time, with high environmental contribution rates during the fishing season. While the range of suitable habitats with an HSI > 0.6 identified by the Maxent model varies significantly between years, a pattern is observed where the range expands at the start and end of the fishing season and contracts during the peak fishing season. This suggests that a more concentrated range of suitable habitats is conducive to accurate predictions of trawl fishing grounds, enabling efficient fishing operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAccurate characterization of mechanical perturbations on the seabed is essential for developing models assessing the environmental impacts from physical disturbances. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between (1) seabed resistance and (2) penetration depth, can also facilitate the development of more efficient and less impactful fishing gears. This study examines these two aspects of tickler chain rigged beam trawling via large-scale physical experiments. Three scaled down models (“light,” “medium,” and “heavy” designs) were developed to represent the impacts from typical beam trawl configurations used in the North Sea and were towed at various speeds on a saturated sand bed. Results reveal that increasing the towing speed reduces the mean penetration depth and the steady-state towing resistance of the gears. Smaller scale physical model tests incorporating tickler chains in sand, demonstrate that the towing resistance is significantly influenced by the soil compaction and particle sizes. Moreover, our study offers a simple and efficient method to estimate the penetration depth and towing resistance of prototype beam trawl gears in sand. This approach, along with the associated research, may be valuable for marine scientists assessing trawling impacts and demersal fishing gear designers seeking to optimize efficiency while minimizing seabed disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study focused on a Chinese Antarctic krill vessel utilising continuous pumping fishing technology. The resistance characteristics of Antarctic krill ships trawling in floating ice areas is of great significance for the navigation and fishing of krill ships in ice areas. Methods: Firstly, MATLAB programming using discrete elements combined with genetic algorithms was used to construct a normal distribution ice flow model. Secondly, a fluid-structure coupling interface is created through the contact between the fluid and the trawl grid, and the displacement and resistance of the trawl grid are evaluated on the shared interface. Finally, the effects of ice density and ship sailing speed on ice resistance were studied. Results and discussion: The results of the calculations results show that ice resistance is positively related to the concentration and speed of floating ice, moreover, there is a special speed point where ice resistance increases rapidly. As the speed increases, the proportion of trawl resistance to the total resistance continues to increase, while the proportion of ice resistance continues to decrease. This paper provides a reference for the navigation and fishing resistance assessment of Antarctic krill ships in floating ice areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Day and nighttime autumn fish abundance and biomass were studied in the pelagic and littoral zones of Lake Sauka in Latvia. Both pelagic methods (hydroacoustics and trawling) revealed significantly higher fish abundance and biomass during the day than at night, especially in deeper zones (below 3 m). Roach (Rutilus rutilus) and Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) dominated the trawl catches during the day, while roach and ruffe dominated at night. Fish smaller than 14 cm strongly dominated in both the trawl catches and hydroacoustic observations. Our hydroacoustic sampling found inhomogeneous pelagic distributions of fish aggregated in big shoals during the day. In the littoral zone, which was sampled by beach seining, both the abundance and biomass were significantly higher at night than during the day. Roach, bleak, and European perch usually dominated in beach seine catches during the day and at night. The daytime pelagic biomass found by hydroacoustics was 62 kg/ha and it decreased to approximately 11 kg/ha at night. The littoral biomass found by beach seining was diurnally opposite, 4 kg/ha during the day and 37 kg/ha at night. It is obvious that diurnal horizontal migrations between pelagic and littoral zones, and shoaling behavior during the daytime are common patterns in the shallow Lake Sauka during the autumn. The study of the spatial distribution of fish is extremely important for the establishment of an appropriate monitoring plan for the purposes of the Water Framework Directive with regard to the morphometry of the lake, the geographical location, and the sampling period of the year. This study also shows that the combination of completely non‐invasive hydroacoustic and other methods that are invasive (trawls, beach seines) but not as destructive as gillnets, which are normally used for scientific fish monitoring in Europe, could be a future way forward for fish monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the "Tydeman" CANCAP VII expedition to the Cape Verde Islands in 1986 and the "Tyro" MAURITANIA II Expedition to the Banque d'Arguin off the coast of Mauritania in 1988, several specimens belonging to two species within the genus Periclimenes were trawled from deep water constituting range extensions for both species. The specimens are here compared with previous descriptions, illustrated, and their distribution is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new Tudivasum species are described from Queensland, Australia. Currently, only Tudivasum armigerum (Adams, 1856) and Tudivasum rasilistoma (Abbott, 1959) are recognized from the east Australian Coast, and are of comparable size to the new species. An additional species, Tudivasum kurtzi (Macpherson, 1964) from northwestern Australia is included in this study as it is also of comparable size to the new species described here, although it is not found in the same biogeographical area. A coastal species, Tudivasum annettae n. sp. is described from Shoal Point, Central Queensland, where it has been found on intertidal sand/mud flats and near shore reefs. Tudivasum barbaracollinsae n. sp. is described from the far northern region of Queensland off the Cairns coastal trawler grounds. Tudivasum glendae n sp. is described from the northern Queensland trawling grounds off Townsville. Tudivasum amandacantamessae n. sp. is described from the central Queensland trawler grounds off Bowen. Tudivasum variabilis n. sp. is taken from the southern Queensland trawler grounds off Yeppoon. The first example of a sinistral Tudivasum from Australia is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly relied upon to preserve biodiversity and ensure fisheries sustainability. Although recent analyses have shown that MPAs can provide overall biodiversity benefits even when they only redistribute fishing effort, these did not account for refuges outside of fishing grounds for non‐target species. It has been argued that such refuges could render MPAs obsolete where their chief benefit is to ensure species persistence.Here, we modelled the outcomes associated with placing MPAs within a seascape where non‐target species' ranges can extend beyond fishing grounds.In scenarios with no explicit fishing‐induced habitat damage, we found that MPAs provided a net biodiversity benefit so long as there was at least an approximately 60% overlap between fishing grounds and non‐target species' ranges. In scenarios with explicit fishing‐induced habitat damage for non‐target species, we found that MPAs instead benefitted biodiversity at all overlaps, but that this was reduced if target species' abundances also declined with damage.Additionally, we identified counterintuitive mechanisms by which MPAs could either help or harm the same species depending on their location by changing fishing effort distribution patterns. However, MPAs did always increase the total fishing effort required to reach a catch target.Policy implications: Our results showed that MPAs could still deliver biodiversity benefits in otherwise well‐regulated fisheries when species' ranges and fishing grounds did not fully overlap, and particularly when sensitive species and habitats were present. Well‐placed MPAs should thus be considered in such settings. However, MPAs were also less likely to be useful when range overlaps were low and always resulted in higher fishing effort to maintain the same catches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sea star Hymenodiscus coronata is the only Mediterranean representative of the deep-sea order Brisingida. In the North-eastern Atlantic Ocean, this species is known to create dense aggregations, while, in the Mediterranean basin, it is generally reported as scattered individuals. Through the analysis of the video footage obtained from an extensive ROV campaign carried out in the northern Strait of Sicily in 2021, over 2850 specimens were counted. The specimens, observed between 310 m and 714 m depth, showed a large variability in size and number of arms. It was noted that 17% of the specimens displayed the peculiar "sail position", with all the arms extended vertically in the water column, possibly increasing the filtration rate. Almost the totality of the individuals was noted on soft bottoms, in accordance with the ecological preferences of the species. The density of H. coronata in each site varied between 0.01 and 0.81 individuals m−2, with the highest densities reported in sites characterized by large muddy areas among rocky outcrops and turbulent hydrodynamic conditions. Although the trawling areas exploited in 2021 did not seem to interfere with the presence of H. coronata in the study area, a precautionary approach should be assumed to protect the largest ever reported Mediterranean aggregation of this poorly known species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite management efforts, like the implementation of escape panels and openings, unwanted catch remains a challenge in demersal trawl fisheries. Studies report that selectivity in escape panels and openings can be low. We explore the selective potential of a large escape opening placed at the aft of the trawl. We then examine if adding a dark tunnel behind the escape opening can increase the escape efficiency of fish by triggering a station-holding behaviour. Our results showed limited escapement through the large escape opening; however, significant for narrow length ranges of some species. Adding the dark tunnel significantly increased the escapement for all analysed species, with escapement up to 70% (40%–83%) and 63% (8%–93%) for roundfish and flatfish, respectively. As target species, a loss of crustaceans up to 85% (60%–96%) highlighted the importance of optimising the integration of the dark tunnel in demersal trawls. Providing the dark tunnel is integrated correctly, our results suggest that currently implemented escape panels and openings with low selective efficiency could be substantially improved by simple means like the dark tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate whether replacing conventional seabed-contacting otter boards with semi-pelagic self-adjusting otter (SAO) boards, which have the ability to maintain a given height above the seabed, affects the catch efficiency of a demersal fish trawl. Experimental fishing trials, using the alternate haul method, were conducted in the Kattegat and Skagerrak with three otter board configurations using conventional seabed-contacting otter boards; the SAO set to maintain a target height over the seabed of 1 m; and the SAO set to maintain a target height of 5 m. Replacing conventional otter boards with SAO resulted in a loss of catch efficiency for haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), and plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides), while no significant difference was found for cod (Gadus morhua), common dab (Limanda limanda), and lemon sole (Microstomus kitt). When comparing the SAO-1 m and SAO-5 m, it was observed that SAO-5 m resulted in a loss of catch efficiency for haddock and plaice, a minimal reduction for cod, and no significant difference for whiting, common dab, and lemon sole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bamboo-coral Isidella elongata is a key habitat-forming species in the deep Mediterranean Sea. This alcyonacean is listed as an indicator of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and as Critically Endangered due to bottom trawling impacts. In this work, a modeling approach was used to predict and map the habitat suitability of I. elongata in the Mediterranean Sea under current environmental conditions. Occurrence data were modeled as a function of environmental parameters. Using climate change scenarios and fishing effort data, the risk of climate change and fisheries impacts on habitat suitability were estimated, and climate refugia were identified. A drastic loss of habitat is predicted, and climate change scenarios suggest a loss of 60% of suitable habitats by 2100. In the central Mediterranean, climate refugia overlapped with active fishing grounds. This study represents the first attempt to identify hot spots for the protection of soft bottom Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems for the entire Mediterranean Sea, and highlights areas most at risk from trawling. This work is relevant to the objectives of the EU Marine Strategy Framework and Maritime Spatial Planning Directives, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 regarding priority areas for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial fisheries management is widely used to reduce overfishing, rebuild stocks, and protect biodiversity. However, the effectiveness and optimization of spatial measures depend on accurately identifying ecologically meaningful areas, which can be difficult in mixed fisheries. To apply a method generally to a range of target species, we developed an ensemble of species distribution models (e‐SDM) that combines general additive models, generalized linear mixed models, random forest, and gradient‐boosting machine methods in a training and testing protocol. The e‐SDM was used to integrate density indices from two scientific bottom trawl surveys with the geopositional data, relevant oceanographic variables from the three‐dimensional physical‐biogeochemical operational model, and fishing effort from the vessel monitoring system. The determined best distributions for juveniles and adults are used to determine hot spots of aggregation based on single or multiple target species. We applied e‐SDM to juvenile and adult stages of 10 marine demersal species representing 60% of the total demersal landings in the central areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Using the e‐SDM results, hot spots of aggregation and grounds potentially more selective were identified for each species and for the target species group of otter trawl and beam trawl fisheries. The results confirm the ecological appropriateness of existing fishery restriction areas and support the identification of locations for new spatial management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of spatial biodiversity patterns is important for ecosystem assessment. Rhodoliths, free-living calcareous algae, are biotic components that structure the sea floor through their complex calcareous skeletons and their tendency to accumulate in an area to form rhodolith beds. Thereby, rhodoliths are considered to act as ecosystem engineers promoting local biodiversity. In this study, the biodiversity of rhodolith beds in Mosselbukta, Svalbard, was investigated to analyse the proposed link between local biodiversity and the presence of rhodoliths by evaluating beam trawl and underwater video transect data. The comparative analysis of two sampling methods addressing the same research question allowed us to assess the suitability of these two methods. To test our hypothesis and the utility of the two methods, evaluations of the two data sets were carried out separately by using Bayesian statistics. The results confirm a positive relationship between the presence of rhodoliths and local biodiversity with a posterior probability of 70% for the video transects and 85% for the beam trawl data. The similarity of the results of the two methods suggests that both methods are well-suited for the analysis of local biodiversity patterns. The combination of the two methods, with their individual strengths and weaknesses, has provided stronger support for the results and a broader view on different components of the biodiversity in the Svalbard rhodolith beds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to improve the selectivity of Australian fish trawls targeting tiger flathead, Platycephalus richardsoni (≥28 cm total length), the utility of four-seam codends with shortened lastridge ropes and comprising 71-mm meshes turned 90° (T90) hung at the narrowest and widest coherent circumferences was compared against a traditional 91-mm diamond-mesh (T0) codend. Significant effects of codend configuration were limited to an increase in the catches of another commercially important species, latchet, Pterygotrigla polyommata, by both T90 codends, and greater escape of some small tiger flathead from the wide 71-mm T90 codend than from the 91-mm T0 codend. Notwithstanding a need to investigate slightly larger T90 mesh sizes for the fishery, the data imply that unlike most codend configurations, circumference does not negatively affect selection in the stated designs and might not require future regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitous, industrial use of bottom‐towed fishing gear since the 1800s has altered marine communities and ecosystem services. Outside of legal protection, only areas inaccessible to trawlers are offered any protection. Shipwrecks present hazards to fishing gear and are rarely subject to trawling pressure. As many have been in situ for >100 years, they offer a baseline of ecological potential when trawling pressure is reduced or removed. Five shipwrecks were surveyed off the Berwickshire coast, some within the Static Gear Reserve and others outside. Video transects were collected of shipwrecks, the surrounding 50 m radius and control locations >150 m from the wreck site. Species identified were assigned a category based on their vulnerability to trawling. The effect of distance from a shipwreck on ecological communities within sites Open and Closed to trawling was investigated. The ecological importance of shipwrecks increased relative to trawling pressure. In Open sites, abundance was 340% greater on Wreck locations than Control. Conversely, within Closed sites, abundance was 149% greater in Control locations than Wreck. In Open sites, shipwreck communities are more similar to those in Closed sites, than to the habitat surrounding the shipwreck. Vulnerable species, mostly large, sessile filter feeders, are almost entirely absent from Open sites, but account for ~28% of the total abundance on shipwrecks in Closed sites. This study offers a quantifiable method to evaluate the ecological contribution of shipwrecks in disturbed areas and suggests their role may warrant further research, and consideration in conservation policy, such as inclusion in 30 × 30 objectives. Our findings also demonstrate the possible ecological gains of expanding or including static gear reserves across Marine Protected Areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall objective of the study presented in this paper was to evaluate the selectivity properties of three innovative codends in Baltic cod fishing: (1) an ultracross codend of 120 mm square mesh, (2) an ultracross codend with additional devices reducing the speed of water flow—one tarpaulin diffuser and one net confusor of 120 mm mesh, and (3) an ultracross codend with two tarpaulin diffusers and two net confusors of 120 mm mesh. These codends were firstly tested at sea by single trawls and compared to T90 and herring codend trawls, allowing assessment of caught fish mass and dimensions. Additionally, a special divided small-mesh coat for the innovative codends enabled determination of the amount as well as the length and mass of cod escaping from the codend both while the trawling gear was towed and while it was hauled. Further validation of codend selectivity was carried out by a double (twin) bottom trawl set deployed from one cutter in various variants of innovative codends compared to standard ones. The results of the study indicate that the use of an innovative ultracross codend and innovative devices reducing the water flow speed (tarpaulin diffusers and 120 mm net confusors) significantly reduces the number of undersized cod (<35 cm), even down to 1.3%, in the haul and contributes to a reduction in invisible mortal discard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trawling the seafloor can disturb carbon that took millennia to accumulate, but the fate of that carbon and its impact on climate and ecosystems remains unknown. Using satellite-inferred fishing events and carbon cycle models, we find that 55-60% of trawling-induced aqueous CO2 is released to the atmosphere over 7-9 years. Using recent estimates of bottom trawling's impact on sedimentary carbon, we found that between 1996-2020 trawling could have released, at the global scale, up to 0.34-0.37 Pg CO2 yr-1 to the atmosphere, and locally altered water pH in some semi-enclosed and heavy trawled seas. Our results suggest that the management of bottom-trawling efforts could be an important climate solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beam trawl is one of the primary operational trawls for Antarctic krill, and its beam provides horizontal expansion support for the trawl net. The hydrodynamic performance of the beam significantly affects the vertical expansion and sinking performance of the trawl, as well as impacts the energy consumption of the fishing vessel. In this study, the beam of the Antarctic krill trawl used on the "Shen Lan" fishing vessel served as a prototype. Three types of beams, cylindrical, airfoil, and elliptical, were designed. The hydrodynamic performances of beams with different shapes at different angles of attack were studied using numerical simulation, and the accuracy of the numerical simulation was validated through the flume test. The results show that the cylindrical beam has a higher drag coefficient and a lower lift coefficient, compared to the airfoil beam and the elliptical beam. Under different angles of attack, the cylindrical beam's drag coefficient is, on average, 49.54% higher than that of the airfoil beam and 59.74% higher than that of the elliptical beam. Its lift coefficient is 87.79% lower than that of the airfoil beam and 85.06% lower than that of the elliptical beam, respectively. At different angles of attack, the hydrodynamic coefficients of the airfoil beam and the elliptical beam are similar, and their trends, with respect to the angle of attack, are generally consistent. The drag coefficients increase with an increasing angle of attack, while the lift coefficients show a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with an increasing angle of attack. The absolute values of the lift coefficients for the airfoil beam and the elliptical beam both reach their maximum values at an angle of attack of 45°, with values of 0.703 and 0.473, respectively. Compared to the cylindrical beam, the hydrodynamic performances of the airfoil beam and elliptical beam are superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries-independent surveys are a critical tool for monitoring marine populations and communities. However, considerations must be made to account for variable-size-based catchability. The size-specific catchability function is therefore key for estimating size distributions, but often requires extensive data sets or specialized field experiments to determine. We develop a Bayesian model capable of simultaneously estimating both a size-based catchability curve and species-specific size spectrum parameters from trawl data by assuming that individual species size spectra follow a theoretically derived parametric size spectrum model. The resulting model provides a means of estimating catchability and size spectra within an adaptive framework capable of accommodating confounding factors such as vessel power and fish density, potentially allowing for improved biomass and productivity estimates. We demonstrate the application of this model using 15 years of Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) survey data from Nunavut to determine size-specific catchabilities and assess whether the size spectrum of Greenland Halibut has changed across the time series. While size spectrum parameters for this stock were not found to vary, we did find evidence of time-varying catchability parameters across the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for jointly estimating both the size-specific relative retention and absolute retention (retention probability) of two experimental trawl gears are considered. One approach would be to undertake comparative fishing of both gears, from which their comparative catchability can be estimated directly. If comparative catchability can be corrected for differing sampling effort and fishing efficiency of the two gears, then relative retention can be estimated. Furthermore, if a suitable functional form of the absolute retention curve is assumed, then estimates of absolute retention can potentially be obtained. However, these estimated retention curves are seen to have extremely large statistical variability and will not be useful in practice. On the other hand, if the gears are each fished with a non-selective control, then absolute retention can be directly estimated, from which estimates of relative retention can immediately be obtained. However, these estimates of relative retention have greater variability than would be obtained by comparative fishing with the same level of sampling effort. It is shown that a hybrid selectivity design that includes both comparative fishing of the experimental trawls and fishing with a non-selective control provides a more balanced approach. An extensive simulation study is conducted using scenarios based on recently published work on selectivity experiments targeting cod (Gadus Morhua) and hoki/blue grenadier (Macruronus novaezelandiae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recerca is the property of Universitat Jaume I and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sustainable fisheries management seeks to balance fisheries' conservation with fishers' economic well‐being. Marine protected areas are increasingly used as a component of management frameworks to improve the resilience of, or maintain, marine resources. However, any spatial management measures need to consider the seasonal distribution of key species at key life stages, such as the recruitment stage.Trichiurus japonicus (hairtail) is the highest yielding single fish species in China, but it is showing signs of miniaturization and early maturity, which are indicators of overfishing. Thus, it is a suitable model species for studies aiming to find a solution to the challenge of balancing fishing activities with resource protection.The potentially important seasonal nursery grounds of T. japonicus in the East China Sea were identified using a model combining data for the variability in abundance and the probability of occurrence of T. japonicus recruits. Based on fishery‐independent survey data, a Bayesian hierarchical species distribution model revealed that the locations and sizes of core nursery grounds of T. japonicus varied seasonally and that the main drivers were depth, sea bottom temperature and sea bottom salinity.The possible seasonal interactions between fishing effort and nursery grounds at different levels of importance were evaluated by analysing the spatial overlap between fishery hot spots and T. japonicus core nursery grounds. The results showed that the proportion of overlap was highest in spring and lowest in summer.These findings highlight the urgent need to develop fleet‐adapted management measures for different levels of overlap and suggest that the eastern and southern areas of the East China Sea hairtail national aquatic germplasm resources conservation zone (TCZ) should be included in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Angles: French Perspectives on the Anglophone World is the property of Societe des Anglicistes de l Enseignement Superieur and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Measuring the distribution of the fishing effort of trawlers is of great significance for describing marine fishery activities, quantifying fishing systems in terms of marine ecological pressure, and revising the regulations of fishing. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient learning algorithm to detect the fishing behavior of trawlers to analyze the distribution of fishing effort. The vessel-monitoring system data of more than 4600 trawlers from September 2019 to April 2023 were used for feature extraction. According to the spatiotemporal information provided by the vessel position data, 11-dimensional features were extracted to form the feature vectors. A Slime Mould Algorithm-optimized Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (SMA-LightGBM) algorithm was proposed to classify the feature vectors to recognize fishing behavior. The presented method showed a remarkable generalization ability and high accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Matthews correlation coefficient in the test results, with scores of 98.23%, 98.75%, 97.75%, and 0.9646, respectively. Subsequently, the trained model was used to identify the fishing behavior of trawlers belonging to the coastal provinces of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea in the sea area of 117 °   E ~ 132 °   E , 26 °   N ~ 41 °   N . The fishing effort was calculated and evaluated according to the fishing behavior recognition results. The mean absolute error was 0.3031 kW·h, and the coefficient of determination score was 0.9772. The thermal map of the fishing effort of the trawler was mapped, and the spatiotemporal characteristics were estimated in the region of interest from 2019 to 2023 with a spatial resolution of 1 8 degree × 1 8 degree. This method is an efficient way of analyzing the spatiotemporal characteristics of the fishing effort of trawlers. It provides a quantitative basis for the assessment of fishery resources and can inform fishing policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trawl bycatch in marine capture has become a serious issue that requires prompt interventions. Different management measures are being followed to mitigate this issue among which gear based technical measures like BRDs are widely used. Seasonal variations and utilization pattern is very important in understanding the scenario and they are very important inputs for development and implementation of any management regulation in a fishery. The purpose of this study was to quantify the total bycatch and also the incidence of juveniles in the bycatch generated by commercial trawlers operating off Udupi coast during the study a total 141 species were recorded in bycatch. During the year 2019-20 a total 34 commercial species were reported in bycatch whereas, it is increased to76 species during the year 2020-21 with increased number of low value fish species. This trend showed that significant increase of both low value fish species and commercial fish species in bycatch. The highest trawl bycatch contribution 76.04% (2020-21) was observed during the study period and the highest bycatch percentage was observed during post monsoon period i.e., February 2020 (87.90%) followed by February 2021 (82.47%). Lowest bycatch percentage was recorded during monsoon period i.e., August-2019 (55.50%) and August 2020 (61.01%). Average bycatch per haul was 195.66 kg in 2019-20 and 184.83 kg. in 2020-21, average catch per haul was 255.60 kg in 2019-20 and 242.74 kg. In post-monsoon months, the bycatch landing was more than monsoon months. It has shown the increasing trend of bycatch landings compared to 2019-20. It has shown the poor landings of bycatch during monsoon months. In postmonsoon months, the bycatch landing was more than monsoon and premonsoon months. The peak landing of bycatch was during February in both years. In the present study the major portion of the bycatch is going to fishmeal and oil industry (55.84%) followed by fresh fish Consumption (15.71%), dry fish consumption (8.59%), surimi production (10.16%) and export was around 9.7% of the bycatch. The techno-economic feasibility of bycatch utilization by fish meal and fish oil industry along Udupi coast haveshown that Rs. 12300/-is the net profit for production of fish meal and other product out of 1000kg raw material. Out of which Fish meal is 20%, fish oil contributes 5% and fish soluble varies from15%. The utilization of bycatch may have positive role to increase the benefits of industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary focus of this study is to provide classical taxonomic analysis and a detailed description of Paranibea semiluctuosa, a specimen obtained through trawling operations and subsequently brought to the Umargaon fish landing center. A total of 43 morphometric parameters and 21 meristic characters were documented and identified with standard identification keys and the original species descriptions. While, prior reports had identified P. semiluctuosa from the Gulf of Kutch, this study marks a significant milestone as it represents the first documented occurrence of the species from Umargaon. This expanded geographical insight enhances understanding of the species distribution and the importance of its taxonomic description and contributes to the broader knowledge of the regional marine biodiversity of Gujarat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of aquatic organisms as models for biomedical research and evolutionary developmental biology. It highlights the historical contributions of John Bland Sutton and Krogh in using animal biology to draw conclusions about human diseases. The article emphasizes the advantages of studying aquatic life, such as their ease of breeding and genetic manipulation, transparency for imaging, and regenerative abilities. It also provides examples of specific aquatic organisms that have been studied and their contributions to understanding reproductive biology, neuronal development, regeneration, and cancer. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of collaboration, standardization, and resource preservation in research organism communities. [Extracted from the article]

The mantis shrimp Rissoides pallidus (Giesbrecht, 1910) is a rarely reported crustacean species in the central Mediterranean Sea. In December 2020, during a trawl survey off Mazara del Vallo harbor (Strait of Sicily), two specimens of R. pallidus were captured on coastal detritus and coastal terrigenous mud bottoms at about 132 and 152 m depths. Additional information specific to biometrics, bottom types, depth preference, habitats, and geographic distribution of this crustacean species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desde 2013, la paralización de la pesca de arrastre de camarón en Costa Rica ha generado una importante conflictividad, entre un sector social que exige el cierre total de la pesquería por sus impactos socioambientales, y otro que aboga por su aprovechamiento sostenible en favor del desarrollo socioeconómico. Esta conflictividad ilustra cómo los océanos están siendo cada vez más problematizados como espacios de preocupación ambiental y, en general, sobre qué es un océano sostenible. Se analiza cómo los diversos actores involucrados en este conflicto, a través de prácticas discursivas, problematizan la degradación y el agotamiento de los sistemas marino-costeros en Costa Rica, y cómo este proceso genera una nueva reconfiguración de la gobernanza con consecuencias sociomateriales desiguales para sus habitantes. Se muestra cómo el discurso, que logró su institucionalización, posicionó sus ideas sobre la sostenibilidad del golfo de Nicoya, relacionadas con nuevos recursos económicamente rentables y sostenibles, al mismo tiempo que estigmatizó el recurso camarón y la pesca de arrastre como actividad productiva. Esta nueva reconfiguración ha tenido como principales perdedores a los actores más vulnerables: los pescadores asalariados y sus familias, profundizando las relaciones desiguales de clase y criminalizando sus medios de vida. Since 2013, the cessation of shrimp trawling in Costa Rica has produced a significant conflict between fishing-related actors supporting the total closure of the fishery due to its socio-environmental impacts, and others advocating for its sustainable use to foster socioeconomic development. This conflict illustrates how the oceans are increasingly contested as spaces of environmental concern and, more generally, about what is considered to be a sustainable ocean. Through discursive practices, we analyze how the various actors involved in this conflict contested the degradation and depletion of coastal environments in Costa Rica, and how this process reconfigured governance, with unequal socio-material consequences. It shows how the discourse that institutionalized these new forms of governance framed new economically profitable activities in the Gulf of Nicoya as sustainable, while at the same time positioning the shrimp resource and its trawling as a productive activity that was unsustainable. The reconfigured governance has most negatively affected the most vulnerable actors, namely salaried fishermen and their families, by exacerbating unequal class relations and criminalizing their livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of South China Fisheries Science is the property of South China Fisheries Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this study was to comprehend the escape intensity and its influencing factors in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) that escaped through large mesh located at the front end of commercial trawl nets. Two pocket nets were employed to collect escaped krill that passed through the mesh opening in the first section (400 mm mesh size, without liner) and second section (16 mm mesh size liner) of the trawl body. The results show that krill escape primarily took place in the first section of the trawl body. Meanwhile, there was almost no krill escape observed in the second section of the trawl body, primarily attributable to the presence of a 16 mm mesh size liner. In terms of body length composition, the average PSI (percentage similarity index) was 67.31 (95% CI: 61.86–72.87) for krill from the pocket net on the larger mesh part and the codend. In addition, the PSI was significantly different (p < 0.05) between the day (60.96, 95% CI: 55.68–66.71) and night (83.62, 95% CI: 76.80–89.46). The escape intensity of krill ranged from 20.83 to 213.13 g·m−2 per ton per hour in the area at the front end of trawl body, with a mean value of 76.52 (95% CI: 55.22–101.09) g·m−2 per ton per hour during the daytime, and 144.66 (95% CI: 110.44–180.03) g·m−2 per ton per hour at night. These results indicate that krill can see and avoid contacting the netting easily during the day, particularly for larger individuals. This provides insight into the design of krill trawls, specifically on the arrangement of liners, which should be integrated from the front part of the trawl body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have developed a method to estimate the catch efficiency of sampling gear using acoustic information. Since different sampling conditions will cause different sampling results, it is necessary to know more details about catch efficiency to quantitatively catch juvenile fish. In this study, we estimated the catch efficiency of a framed midwater trawl (FMT) for juvenile walleye pollock, and investigated differences in the catch efficiency of the FMT due to various influencing factors. To clarify the effects of different sampling conditions on catch efficiency, we investigated changes in catch efficiency by survey time (daytime and nighttime), net color (black and cyan), and towing speed (2 kt, 3 kt, 4 kt). It was quantitatively shown that the catch efficiency was higher at nighttime than during the daytime, the catch efficiency of black net was higher than that of cyan net, and the catch efficiency was higher at the faster towing speed. Comparing the estimated catch efficiency under different conditions, we found that survey time was the most important influencing factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effectiveness of using video cameras mounted on commercial trawls for a deep-sea lobster, the New Zealand scampi Metanephrops challengeri, for acquiring information on habitat associations of demersal species and fishing efficiency. Randomly selected frames from 1 h of recording replicated over 12 trawls and conducted over three fisheries management areas (FMA), were analysed for counts of visible scampi, scampi burrows, visible topographical features and visible epifauna and fish taxa. Poisson regression analysis indicated a positive relationship between the distribution of scampi burrows (a proxy of scampi abundance) and conical mounds (formed by bioturbators), but a negative relationship with smooth topography. Counts of scampi burrows were also positively associated with counts of visible scampi for four trawls, while significant relationships were seldom found between counts of scampi burrows and other commonly observed individual taxa. Scampi trawl efficiency was low, with only 56 of the 186 observed scampi (30%) passing over the footrope and into the trawl net. The results confirm the effectiveness of video sampling from commercial trawls to improve our understanding of habitats and fishing efficiency in deep-sea fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although gear efficiency is an important parameter in stock assessments, estimating its value experimentally is often time-consuming and laborious. The effort required is huge, especially when the survey gear previously used for a stock assessment is changed for some reason. To address the problem, we built a state-space model that can be used to estimate the gear efficiency of any new equipment relative to the original one using a dataset obtained from comparative trawl surveys. This approach is much easier to use than the direct experimental estimation used to calculate absolute gear efficiency. Using this model, we successfully estimated the relative gear efficiency of a new surface trawl net (NST-660), employed in the Japanese survey for Pacific saury, relative to the reference one (NST-99), whose gear efficiency is already known. The estimated 2.5–50–97.5 percentiles of the relative gear efficiency of NST-660 to NST-99 was 0.873, 1.59, and 2.91, respectively. The plausibility of the model assumption was validated through model diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Mediterranean fisheries are experiencing flaws in the application of the management system based on input control, including Algeria, where the state of fisheries and stocks remain unclear. This paper focused on the characterization of the catches from bottom trawling by professional fishing vessels in the Mostaganem fishery (West of Algeria). Catch data were collected on board between 2017 and 2020 in two different fishing areas between isobaths 30 and 100 meters in depth. Out of a total of 87 species caught, discards represented a greater variety of species (74) than landings (57). Quantitatively, the landing weights were estimated at 7.8 tons, while the discard weights were lower, accounting for 1.8 tons. Between the two fishing areas, a significant difference was detected in the composition of discards and landings, while for the weights, the two areas were similar. Generally, the Mostaganem fishery is similar to other bottom trawl Mediterranean fisheries both for target and discard species. Otherwise, this research highlighted the existence of an uncontrolled black market, which sustains the practice of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and potentially increases the rate of overexploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation is an important method for calculating the hydrodynamic performance of otter boards used in sea floor trawling. Although such simulations have been explored in prior studies, the effects of the proximity of the otter boards to the seafloor and the plume of upward-drawn sediment during bottom trawling have largely been ignored. In this study, we assessed these factors. The results show that within the angles of attack used during normal operations, the effect of the seafloor bottom boundary of the flow field on the hydrodynamic performance of an otter board is obvious. We found that when the ratio of the distance between the bottom of an otter board and the surface boundary of the flow field to the chord length of the board exceeds 0.4, the influence of the bottom boundary of the flow field on the hydrodynamic performance of the board is negligible. For values of less than 0.4, the seafloor bottom boundary has an increasingly obvious impact on the hydrodynamic performance as this ratio decreases. We also found that the turbid plume of ocean floor sediment raised during bottom trawling has an obvious effect on the lift and resistance coefficients of an otter board at high angles of attack. At low angles, this effect on the lift-to-drag ratio is reversed and less obvious. The simulation results show that the optimal lift-to-drag ratio decreases with an increase in the sediment concentration; however, beyond a certain threshold, an increasing concentration of sediments was not found to have an obvious impact on the lift-to-drag ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The offshore Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) bottom trawl fishery in eastern Canada currently uses 22 and 28 mm bar spacing Nordmøre grids to limit bycatch from using small mesh codends. However, a recent rebound of juvenile redfish (Sebastes spp.), that can pass through the grids, has greatly increased bycatch. To address this concern, this study investigated the effectiveness of 17 and 15 mm bar spacing Nordmøre grids in a twin-trawl (paired) configuration against the traditional 22 mm bar spacing grid. Size selectivity analyses showed that the 17 and 15 mm grids resulted in no significant reduction in shrimp catch across all length classes. The 17 mm grid significantly reduced redfish bycatch for all length classes and the 15 mm grid significantly reduced redfish bycatch for individuals larger than 95 mm total length. Less redfish entered the codend with the experimental grids, however, the overlap in width between redfish and Northern shrimp limits the overall sorting efficiency of the grids, leaving some redfish still vulnerable to capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a method to detect taxa from environmental samples. It is increasingly used for marine biodiversity surveys. As it only requires water collection, eDNA metabarcoding is less invasive than scientific trawling and might be more cost effective. Here, we analysed data from both sampling methods applied in the same scientific survey targeting Northeast Atlantic fish in the Bay of Biscay. We compared the methods regarding the distribution of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. We found that eDNA captured more taxonomic and phylogenetic richness than bottom trawling and more functional richness at the local scale. eDNA was less selective than trawling and detected species in local communities spanning larger phylogenetic and functional breadths, especially as it detected large pelagic species that escaped the trawl, even though trawling detected more flat fish. eDNA indicated differences in fish community composition that were comparable to those based on trawling. However, consistency between abundance estimates provided by eDNA metabarcoding and trawl catches was low, even after accounting for allometric scaling in eDNA production. We conclude that eDNA metabarcoding is a promising method that can complement scientific trawling for multi-component biodiversity monitoring based on presence/absence, but not yet for abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-scale maps of fishing activity are valuable information layers for fisheries management, assessments of biodiversity impacts and marine spatial planning. Our aim was to develop an accurate map of demersal trawling intensity in South Africa and to demonstrate its utility at a national scale. We calculated a swept area ratio, representing demersal trawling effort for the entire study period (2005‒2018) and annually. We then plotted spatial and temporal patterns of trawling activity, identified core fishing areas, and examined spatial overlap between trawling, South Africa's marine ecosystem types and the national network of marine protected areas. A high proportion of trawling effort (90%) was concentrated in 43% of the area exposed to trawling, with the remaining 10% spread across 57% of the fished areas. The fishery overlaps with 33 of 150 benthic and bentho-pelagic marine ecosystem types. Of those, 11 have more than 50% of their extent, and five have more than 80%, within the trawl ring-fence. Our analyses support a systematic prioritisation of ecosystem types for further management and protection. The new South African trawling-intensity map contributes an improved pressure layer for ecosystem assessments, can help identify priority fishing areas and has application in conservation, marine spatial planning and fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]