This solution is advanced by :
Bycatch of juvenile redfish remains a significant challenge in demersal shrimp trawl fisheries, particularly at depth where juveniles overlap with shrimp fishing grounds. The unintended capture of juvenile redfish can negatively affect stock sustainability and long-term fishery productivity.
The MarineGuardian demersal trawl modifications for shrimp fisheries aim to reduce the bycatch of juvenile redfish by adapting shrimp trawl design and integrating targeted bycatch reduction devices, while maintaining effective shrimp fishing operations.
The challenge
Shrimp trawl fisheries operating at depth can interact with juvenile redfish, which are vulnerable to capture due to their size and their living grounds. Standard trawl configurations often lack the selectivity needed to effectively separate juvenile fish from target shrimp catches.
Reducing juvenile bycatch in these fisheries requires innovative trawl modifications that improve size and species selectivity, while remaining compatible with commercial shrimp trawling practices.
The solution
This MarineGuardian solution focuses on the design and development of bycatch reduction devices specifically adapted to shrimp trawl fisheries.
The objective is to modify trawl configurations in a way that allows juvenile redfish to escape the gear, while retaining target shrimp catches. The solution will be refined through an iterative process combining design, flume tank testing and at-sea validation.
Development and progress
The development of demersal trawl modifications for shrimp fisheries is currently underway:
- Design and construction of bycatch reduction devices is ongoing
- A flume tank testing plan is being developed
- Flume tank testing is scheduled for early 2026
- Sea trials are planned for 2026
Expected impact
The demersal trawl modifications for shrimp fisheries are expected to contribute to:
- Reduced bycatch of juvenile redfish
- Improved stock sustainability of redfish
- Practical solutions that can be adopted by the fishing sector
- Support for more sustainable shrimp fishing practice
