An assessment of bycatch reduction devices in a tropical Australian prawntrawl fishery

摘要

Our study assessed 16 different Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) for use in Australia's Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF), during three cruises in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The study was a response to pressure from conservation and community groups to make harvesting of the sea more selective and less damaging to the non-target communities. The approach was to incrementally improve the performance of BRDs after each stage: underwater observations in a flume tank and engineering trials at sea; rigorous and controlled scientific trials on the RV Southern Surveyor; testing under normal commercial fishing conditions. Bycatch Reduction Devices were improved throughout these procedures; only the best-performing devices were tested in the next stage.