Testing of a helix twine off-bottom trawl on Georges Bank

The massive biomass of Eastern Georges Bank haddock ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus ) is difficult to harvest without capturing less robust, but still valuable groundfish stocks like Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and some flatfish species. Specialized trawls that raise the mouth nets off-bottom have reduced bycatch very poor status prioritizes even greater reduction prevent exceeding regulatory fishing quotas. Raising entire gear may further reduce while eliminating benthic impacts, expanding access grounds previously off-limits bottom-tending trawls. We evaluated an trawl (OBT) reducing catches overexploited stocks. OBT net has large meshes at front end, made with innovative “helix” twine produces lateral hydraulic forces towing, resulting in self-spreading meshes. established optimal configurations achieve target shape distance seafloor by using assortment mensuration sensors/loggers cameras. caught similar amounts more than a standard bottom “Ruhle trawl”, also fish same lengths despite smaller mesh-sized codend. demonstrated requirements vessel RPMs as Ruhle trawl, having larger swept area.