Groundgear Modifications to Reduce the Catch of Juvenile American Plaice in Otter Trawls on Georges Bank

A collaborative project involving otter trawl fishermen from New England and scientists from SMAST was designed to develop a modified groundgear for a trawl that reduces the catch of juvenile American plaice in the Georges Bank multispecies groundfish fishery.  The project is part of the Collaborative Fisheries Research Fellowship that promotes cooperation between scientists and stakeholders to address fisheries problems through conservation engineering research.  The New England groundfish fishery has transitioned to catch-share management with annual catch limits.  The ability to reduce the bycatch of sub-legal fish would allow optimization of catch allocations while promoting sustainable fishing practices.  A modified groundgear with “escape windows” was tested which provides an avenue for escapement early stage of the capture process. Fourteen days of experimental fishing were conducted in March of 2011.  Stakeholders were involved in the project to determine field protocols and the design of the experimental fishing gear.  The Fellowship provides an outlet to discuss project objectives and challenges with other fellows and professors with experience in the collaborative research, experimental design and conservation engineering.  Interaction with other fellows will continue throughout all phases of the project, offering a forum in which ideas can be shared.