Effect of snood length and hanging ratio on efficiency and selectivity of bottom-set gillnets for pikeperch, Stizostedion lucioperca L., and bream, Abramis brama

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with multi- and monofilament bottom-set gillnets of various mesh sizes (50, 55 and 65 mm bar mesh), snood length (0.6 and 1.1 m) and hanging ratio, E (0.25, 0.33, 0.5) to study the influence of gear construction on the selectivity of the nets for catching pikeperch ( Stizostedion lucioperca) and bream ( Abramis brama). Catches were always higher in the conventional gillnets with 1.1 m snoods, but on an exposed net area basis, catches of bream were higher in the nets with 0.6 m snoods. Catches in the gillnets with the lowest hanging ratio ( E = 0.25) were always higher than in the conventional gillnets ( E = 0.50). Catches of pikeperch were higher in the multifilament nets, those of bream were higher in the monofilament nets. Lowering the hanging ratio in the conventional nets to 0.25 always resulted in a higher mean length of fish caught.