Test and development of a sediment suppressing system for catch monitoring in demersal trawls

Catch monitoring during demersal trawling is important to help fishers around the globe cope with high bycatches. Information about catch composition towing will allow identify and react presence of unwanted undertake actions avoid them trawling. In trawl fisheries, by optical devices typically challenged poor quality underwater observations due sediment mobilized process. this study we develop, test quantify effect a modification including suppressing sheet an in-trawl image acquisition system for bottom The demonstrated on low-headline trawls that are used in mixed Nephrops-directed fisheries. We show fitting front part gear reduces amount half at three positions inside gear. When combination placed aft it possible obtain clear images soft muddy grounds.