Bioeconomic analysis of the effects of modifying the trawl extension piece with T90 netting

Iván Sola,Francesc Maynou

doi:10.3989/scimar.04715.06a

Abstract

We assessed the effect of the European discards ban on the profitability of bottom trawlers in a case study fishery (GSA06, NW Mediterranean) in the transition period 2017-2018, when the species that characterize the fishery, viz. hake and red mullet, fall under the discards ban. We used the results of Sola and Maynou (2018) to simulate the adoption of a modified bottom trawl design using a T90 extension net to reduce the catches of undersize hake and red mullet. Our results show that the economic impact of the former discards brought to land on the fisheries operators is expected to be low, regardless of the possible commercial use of these unwanted catches. Furthermore, the adoption of a more selective bottom trawl design would increase the escape of undersize individuals and likely reduce fishing mortality of the target species, contributing to stock rebuilding and providing higher income to the fisheries operators in the medium to long term.

Highlights

The reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy brought into force the prohibition of discarding catches of regulated species (EC 2013)
Summary: We assessed the effect of the European discards ban on the profitability of bottom trawlers in a case study fishery (GSA06, NW Mediterranean) in the transition period 2017-2018, when the species that characterize the fishery, viz. hake and red mullet, fall under the discards ban
We used the results of Sola and Maynou (2018) to simulate the adoption of a modified bottom trawl design using a T90 extension net to reduce the catches of undersize hake and red mullet

Summary

Introduction

The reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy brought into force the prohibition of discarding catches of regulated species (EC 2013). A Landing Obligation (LO) was included in this reform (Article 15 of EU Reg. 1380/2013) and affects all commercial species subject to catch limits or minimum landing sizes. The total volume of discards (including nonregulated species) in EU Mediterranean trawl fisheries is estimated to range typically between 30% and 40% of the total catch (with extremes varying from 20% to 60%) (Tsagarakis et al 2014). A recent study (Sartor et al 2016) analysing Italian official fisheries data (EU Data Collection Framework, DCF) from 2009 to 2014 on the discards of the species characterizing the otter bottom trawl fisheries show that discards of European hake varied from 5% to 20% of the total catch, depending on the geographical subarea

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