A collaboration between FIS and Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate assessed the potential for a demersal whitefish trap fishery to offer commercial potential for some sectors of the fishing industry while responding to pressures on the marine space, environmental concerns and future fisheries policy.
The project aims to find out whether novel traps could be a commercially viable and sustainable method in grounds not accessible to mobile gears. The project chartered the Carina BF803, a large whitefish trawler whose skipper, Gary West, and crew hold tremendous experience and knowledge of working the deeper offshore grounds.
Work on the project continues with a focus on incorporating escape panels for undersized fish to the design. Selectivity trials on the Scottish Government Marine Directorate’s inshore research vessel MRV Alba na Mara begin in March 2025. These will help provide evidence to establish minimum standards and help inform wider policy development such as the Scottish Government’s Future Catching Policy (FCP.) Additionally, any commercial form of the traps should include biodegradable components to prevent ghost fishing in the event of their loss.
Commenting on the progress of the project Kara Brydson, Executive Director of FIS, said: “It should by now go without saying that fishermen’s expertise in the trial of novel fishing gears and gear configuration is the way to effective, selective and energy efficient fisheries. But it’s rarely straightforward for good ideas to progress beyond trials. Genuine collaboration can help ensure that novel gears are practical, and effective and that good ideas from fishermen can be accepted into regulation. This project is an example of how good ideas from fishermen could offer some sectors the flexibility to respond to policy changes and spatial squeeze.”
