Development of fishing Gears with Reduced Effects on the Environment (DEGREE)
Background
High levels of concern have been expressed for
many years about the adverse effects that towed fishing gear can have on the seabed
and the benthic communities that live on and in the seabed. To counter these effects,
there is growing pressure to close significant areas of the sea to fishing, which
could have significant socio-economic effects on fishing-dependent communities.
Another alternative would be the development of fishing gear with a lower environmental
impact.
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Objectives
Closing established areas to fishing may protect some benthic communities but it
may also lead to increased exploitation of more vulnerable components of stock and
increase the socio-economic strains on fishery-dependent communities. As an alternative
to this approach to environmental protection, DEGREE will:
- Develop
new fishing gear (otter trawl, beam trawl, dredges) that reduce the adverse effects
on the seabed and benthic communities
- Quantify
the potential reduced effect on habitats and benthic communities
- Assess
the socio-economic consequences of introducing these gear in established fisheries
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Policy development
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The development of modified, low-impact fishing gear will help the EU and Member
States to meet their international obligations for the protection of the marine
environment, habitats and species.
- DEGREE
will inform fishery management decision-makers about environmental protection and
the socio-economic consequences of individual decisions.
- Information
collected and gear developed by DEGREE will assist the EU in meeting numerous aspects
of declared fishery policy, such as ‘adopting measures to reduce the impact of fishing
activity on marine ecosystems’ (Council Reg. 2371/2002 Art 4).
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CNR-ISMAR contribution
Further development of Benthos release panels or cod-ends. These are designed
to reduce the environmental impact of commercial beam trawlers. Problems with
weed build-up and capture of stones need to be overcome to allow this technology
to be used on a commercial scale.
CNR-ISMAR aims to:
- Overcome
weed build-up in the panel joining meshes.
- Adapt the
technology to be used with a stone-release gap.
- Develop
the technology for full commercial use in the English Channel and Belgium chain
mat beam trawl fisheries.
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Responsible CNR-ISMAR
Antonello Sala (CNR-ISMAR, Ancona):
a.sala@ismar.cnr.it
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Partners
This project
involves 12 partners from 8 different countries.
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Project Web-site
www.rivo.dlo.nl/degree
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