Evaluating the Efficacy of Semi-Pelagic Otter Boards to Improve Profitability and Reduce Trawl Impacts in the New England Groundfish Fishery: A Win-Win for Fishermen and the Environment

Fishermen operating in a catch-share managed fishery can optimize profitability by reducing their fishing costs and/or increasing the value of landings for a given allocated catch entitlement. The consumption of diesel fuel is a major fishing cost that significantly limits the profitability of fishing activity, and in a demersal trawl fishery options to reduce fuel consumption include the use of semi-pelagic otterboards (doors) to minimize seabed contact and friction. These otterboards should also reduce substantially the physical impact of trawling on the seabed.

This paper describes the results of a comparative experiment to evaluate, for the first time in the New England groundfish fishery, the impact of semi-pelagic otterboards to i) reduce seabed impact, ii) reduce fuel consumption, and iii) maintain catch. The impact of traditional (demersal) and semi-pelagic otterboards was evaluated in the spring of 2011 onboard a groundfish trawler operating as per normal commercial practice. The findings of this experiment are discussed in terms of their environmental impact, their impact on fishing profitability and uptake by fishermen, and their ability to contribute to the development of niche seafood markets that tap into public concerns over the environmental impacts of trawl fishing. The development of this research in collaboration with a commercial fisherman is also discussed, including techniques to balance research needs with that of a commercial fishing operation.