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Develop Escape Tube for By-Catch Study

Details

Testing an escape tube, "cod-end video quantifier",  that allows research to be done in the ground fisheries with little or no by-catch.  The above photo shows dogfish escaping after the codend opens.  The codend is closed using a lollipop attached by a wire tie to a common door spring.  The dissolve rate of a small lollipop is about 30 minutes with the wrapper still on.  Sugar Daddy's last about 45 minutes without the wrapper, and 55 minutes with the wrapper.  As of November 25, 2003,  over 40 tows with both solid tube (white 55 gallon plastic drum with the ends cut out) and a 65 gallon round tube constructed from lobster trap steel wire, have been used.  Steel wire was found to keep the trawl mud cloud  from lowering visibility while towing in deep water.  Tests have been in 20 to 35 fathom and currently in 30 fathom.  By December '03 we should be in 40-50 fathom.  We find that it is easy to count fish and identify species of fish, but cannot always get the fish length.  A white measuring  board can be seen in the above tube. 

This study, with the use of the lollipop, can drastically reduce by-catch while doing fisheries research, and may help when trying to obtain an exempt fisheries permit (EFP), by showing that you will are making an effort to reduce by-catch mortality.  We are currently working on the length of the spring length as we have found that the weight of the fish in the codend can open the spring up before the lollipop dissolves.  We will continue to update you as to our progress.

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Last modified: August 23, 2010