DragLess - a holistic approach to gear development: reducing roundfish bycatch and drag in the trawl fishery of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) off Denmark

In demersal trawl fisheries, advancements in gear technology in the posterior part of the trawl have enhanced size and species selectivity. The integration of these developments into the technical legislation remains, however, limited, with minimal uptake within the industry. This is despite that demersal fisheries are challenged by simultaneously evolving sustainability issues and need not only to reduce unintended bycatch but also preserve habitat and improve fuel efficiency. Consequently, there is a pressing need for fishing gear innovations that offer more holistic solutions. This study, conducted off the coast of Denmark addresses a suite of these challenges in the demersal Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)-directed trawl fishery by simultaneously aiming to minimize catches of unwanted bycatch, reduce drag during gear towing without requiring changes to the existing technical regulations. Moreover, the study endeavors to devise an easily reversible design alteration that allows fishers to retain fish bycatch of commercial sizes when quota is available. In a catch comparison set-up, we found that the bycatch of roundfish was significantly reduced without compromising the yield of Norway lobster when the top panel was constructed of very large meshes through most of the body of a Norway lobster-trawl. Concurrently, the drag diminished by 10 % during gear towing. This research underscores the potential for simple, yet effective, gear modifications to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance sustainability in fisheries operations using trawl.