Condition and survival of discards in tickler chain beam trawl fisheries

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Dutch demersal fisheries in the North Sea is a mixed fishery that mainly targets Dover sole (Solea solea) with plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) and other species as valuable bycatches. The fleet currently uses two gear types: pulse beam trawls and conventional tickler chain beam trawls. Pulse beam trawlers operate with a temporary exemption from the EU prohibition to use electric stimulation in fishing gears, of which the last exemptions will expire in June 2021.To assess the consequences of transitions between pulse and tickler chain beam trawling for discards mortality, knowledge on the discards survival probabilities as well as the amount of discards is required for both gear types. The objective of the current study was to estimate discards survival probabilities for undersized plaice, sole, turbot, brill and thornback ray discarded by tickler chain beam trawl fisheries using fish condition as a proxy for survival probability. To this end the condition and reflex impairment of undersized fish in the catches of tickler chain beam trawlers were assessed and compared to similar data collected from pulse trawl fisheries. For spotted ray we assessed fish condition in tickler chain beam trawling but could not estimate its discards survival probability because a relation between survival probability and fish condition is lacking for this species. In this study direct mortality imposed by the tickler chain beam trawling ranged between 10 and 32% in flatfish species and was between 2-4 times higher than in pulse beam trawling. Direct mortality in ray species was lowest among the investigated species (2-8%) and did not differ between the two gear types. Differences in direct mortality were reflected in the condition scores. Direct mortality of sole was higher in tickler chain beam trawling (17%) than in pulse beam trawling (8%). Brill, turbot and plaice discarded by pulse beam trawling are in better condition than when discarded by tickler chain beam trawl fisheries. For sole no effect of gear type on fish condition could be detected. We consider the lower fish condition scores of brill, plaice and turbot from tickler chain beam trawling a direct reflection of the higher mechanical impact of this gear on the fish. For thornback ray and spotted ray no effect of gear type on fish condition could be detected. The predicted survival of plaice, brill and turbot discards indicate that discards survival could indeed be lower in tickler chain beam trawl fisheries compared to pulse beam trawl fisheries. For sole and thornback ray discards we found no evidence for such difference between gear types. The discards survival probabilities for tickler chain beam trawling as presented in this study should be considered as predictions based on the currently best available information instead of definite values. Actual measurements of discards survival at sea are needed to confirm and quantify survival probabilities in tickler chain beam trawling.