Comparison of the capture efficiency of 0-group fish in pelagic trawls

Abstract

In 1992 and 1993 experiments were carried out during the international 0-group fish surveys in order to study the capture efficiency of two pelagic trawls. The catches of the standard sampling trawl were compared with those of a special 0-group fish trawl under construction. The results support and strengthen the conclusions arrived at in earlier works; Catches of Ogroup cod and haddock in the standard sampling trawl show largely skewed length distributions, the smaller fishes being undersampled relativly to the larger ones, and the new trawl caught 0-group cod in the length range 5-10 cm 3-4 times more efficient than the standard sampling trawl. A significant density dependent catch efficiency is, however apparent for both trawls.