Enhanced selectivity of trawl nets - European Commission
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Enhanced selectivity of trawl nets

Murcia fisheries LAG has enabled fishers and scientists to trial innovative trawling equipment in order to make red shrimp fisheries more sustainable.

© Cofradía de Pescadores de Mazarron

The project allowed the fishers’ association of Mazarron to pilot a new trawl net, the T90, in order to examine its effect on fishing activity. The T90 has a larger mesh size than traditional nets and had been reported to improve sustainability of catches and reduce fuel consumption. The grant provided by the fisheries LAG funded a comparative study by a specialised regional consultancy. With 24 hauls and the sampling of 5 055 individuals, they were able to compare the effectiveness of traditional nets and the T90. 

Results

  • 15-28% fewer small shrimps caught than with the traditional net
  • Increased proportion of larger fish caught
  • Income increase of 6.2% when using the T90 net
  • Greater momentum for further innovation in the area

Contact

Organisation
Cofradía de Pescadores de Mazarron
Email
Phone number
+34 968594215
Postal address

Murcia
Spain

Fisheries LAG

Name
Fisheries LAG
Organisation
Murcia FLAG
Email
Phone number
+34 696359376
Postal address

Murcia
Spain