Square mesh panels in demersal trawls: some data on haddock selectivity in relation to mesh size and position

An experiment was conducted in June 1998 using twin trawls on a commercial trawler in the North Sea to determine optimum position and mesh size for a square mesh panel. Two positions were assessed with an 80 mm panel. one at the start of the extension and one in the codend. These were compared with the selectivity of a codend with no panel fitted. Results demonstrated that the 80 mm panel in the forward position showed no significant difference when compared to the standard codend. The 80 mm panel inserted in the codend significantly improved the selectivity of the gear. A 100 mm panel inserted in the codend was also tested during five hauls, but had no statistically significant effect due to insufficient fish being retained by this combination. Crown Copyright (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.