Project: Small Mesh Fishery Bycatch Reduction in the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Windowpane Flounder Stock Area

Extracted from the NSF award abstract:

Currently, bycatch of windowpane flounder in the northwestern Atlantic is a concern of fishery management. Exceeding the Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for windowpane has the potential to trigger Accountability Measures that restrict fishing activities. This project sought to enhance the opportunity for fishermen to fully access ACLs by validating the effectiveness of an innovative gear modification. CCE tested and evaluated a large mesh belly panel for use as an avoidance gear to reduce windowpane flounder bycatch in small mesh trawl fisheries in Southern New England. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that there was a significant reduction in catch of windowpane flounder in the control net compared to the experimental net with the large mesh belly panel when analyzed in terms of both catch weights and in number of individual fish.

A Final Report to The Northeast Consortium and The New England Fishery Management Council Groundfish Research Program (PDF)