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\nin order to study the capture efficiency of two pelagic trawls. The catches of the standard\nsampling trawl were compared with those of a special 0-group fish trawl under construction.\nThe results support and strengthen the conclusions arrived at in earlier works; Catches of Ogroup\ncod and haddock in the standard sampling trawl show largely skewed length\ndistributions, the smaller fishes being undersampled relativly to the larger ones, and the new\ntrawl caught 0-group cod in the length range 5-10 cm 3-4 times more efficient than the\nstandard sampling trawl. A significant density dependent catch efficiency is, however\napparent for both trawls.