Admiral Gordon: 'Outrigger Trawl' Trials

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Date:

February 2008

Author:

M Humphrey R Caslake M Montgomerie

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Working with the seafood industry to satisfy consumers, raise standards, improve efficiency and secure a sustainable future.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) was established by the Government in 1981 and is a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB).

Seafish activities are directed at the entire UK seafood industry including the catching, processing, retailing and catering sectors.

ISBN No. 0 903941 94 5

Seafish Research and Development Author(s):

M. Humphrey R. Caslake M. Montgomerie

Date:

February 2008

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Summary: As part of Sea Fish Industry Authority’s strategic priorities of responsible sourcing, improved sales revenue and cost reduction, Seafish funded a project to demonstrate to the UK Beam trawler fleet an alternative fishing method known as “Outrigger”.

The “Outrigger “ fishing method replaces the heavy 4mtr beams normally towed by the fishing vessel, with two demersal trawls towed from the derricks, each with its own set of trawl doors.

Beam trawlers in Holland and Belgium have used this method with reported cuts in fuel consumption by as much as 50% for the Dutch vessels whilst initial results from Belgium have shown up to 70% reduction in fuel consumption. This method if successful could be adopted by suitable vessels at limited expenditure and with minimal alterations to the vessels.

The trials involved the use of Scanmar trawl geometry equipment to establish the gear parameters and to optimise the fishing performance of the gear. In order to compare the fuel consumption of the vessel working Outrigger Gear against the standard 4 meter beams with chain mats, fuel flow meters were fitted to the vessel and catch samples taken.

Table of Contents: 1.

Introduction................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background ............................................................................................. 1 1.2. Benefits for industry ................................................................................. 1 1.3. Communications ...................................................................................... 2 1.3.1.

Media articles ................................................................................... 2 2. Methodology ................................................................................................. 3 2.1. Technical scoping – Holland trip/Belgium sourcing gear ......................... 3 2.2. Charter application and vessel selection ................................................. 3 2.3. Fishing gear ............................................................................................. 5 2.3.1.

Gear ................................................................................................. 5 2.3.2.

Trawl plans ....................................................................................... 7 2.3.3.

Ground gear rig ................................................................................ 9 2.3.4.

Trawl doors..................................................................................... 10 2.4. Fuel Measurements ............................................................................... 11 3. Sea trials...................................................................................................... 12 3.1. Trip 1 - Technical Trial June/ July 07 ..................................................... 12 3.2. Independent commercial trip July 07 ..................................................... 16 3.3. Ground gear alterations Plymouth 23rd- 25th July................................... 17 3.4. Trip 2 - Commercial trip Aug 16-21st 07 (accompanied) ........................ 18 3.5. Trip 3 – Commercial trip Aug 23-30th 07 (accompanied) ....................... 18 4. Catch Sampling........................................................................................... 19 5. Results......................................................................................................... 21 5.1. Catch results.......................................................................................... 21 5.1.1.

Trip 1 Engineering Trials ................................................................ 21 5.1.2.

Trip 2 Commercial trials.................................................................. 24 5.1.3.

Trip 3 Commercial trials.................................................................. 25 5.2. Fuel results ............................................................................................ 28 5.2.1.

Fuel Cost Comparison.................................................................... 28 6. Discussion................................................................................................... 31 6.1. Trial Success/Failure ............................................................................. 31 6.2. Cost benefit ........................................................................................... 31 6.3. Viability .................................................................................................. 31 6.4. Future Application.................................................................................. 32 6.5. Conclusions ........................................................................................... 32 7. Acknowledgements .................................................................................... 33 8. References .................................................................................................. 33 Appendices......................................................................................................... 34

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

1. Introduction 1.1. Background The aim of the project was to demonstrate an alternative fishing method commonly known as Outrigger trawling. This involved replacing the heavy beam trawls which are normally towed by the vessel with two demersal trawls, each trawl spread with its own set of trawl doors and towed from the derricks.

The beam trawling sector of the industry is currently under pressure from environmental groups and as a result, is enthusiastic to explore new gear ideas.

Pressure on this sector of the industry has affected the market demand for beam trawl caught fish. This situation is likely to worsen in the short to medium term as more emphasis is put on the reduction of discards, making it critical that the catching sector explores alternative fishing methods.

Discards from the beam fleet have been highlighted as a major problem for some time now. This project looked at ways of reducing discards through gear modification. The steady increase in fuel prices was another driver for the fleet to look at alternatives to beam trawling. By adopting the outrigger fishing method vessels can reduce their fuel consumption enabling increased profitability and a reduction in environmental impact.

1.2. Benefits for industry This project will see the UK industry working closely with European fishermen and researchers ensuring the most up to date ideas and technologies are applied. The beam trawl fleet profitability has dramatically reduced over the past three years, particularly with respect to the rise in fuel prices. Consumers are much more aware of how their fish is caught and see beam caught fish as being undesirable in terms of bottom impact, discards and environmental footprint.

If successful the project will enable fishermen to: • Increase profitability • Reduce gear drag • Reduce fuel consumption • Decrease benthic impact and discards Quota pressure on certain stocks is forcing vessels to look at catching other underutilised species. Discards from the beam trawl fleet are high and there is a desire from fishermen, scientists and the general public to reduce these through: • •

Reduced effort on pressure stock fisheries Diversify into non-pressure stock species

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

1.3.

Communications

1.3.1. Media articles

Belgium Fishing News: October 2006: Beamers switch to double rig trawls www.fishingnews.co.uk

Holland Fishing News International: February 2007: Pressure on Beamers. www.fishingnewsinternational.com

UK Fish Update: December 2007: Seafish gear trials deliver reduced fuel costs and discards www.fishupdate.com .

Fishing News: November 23rd 2007: Lower fuel costs and discards www.fishingnews.co.uk

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

2. Methodology 2.1. Technical scoping – Holland trip/Belgium sourcing gear Prior to the commencement of the project a fact finding trip was carried out to several ports in Holland during October 2006 in order to assess work that had been carried out by the Dutch fishermen with regards to outrigger trawling. The ports of Den Helder,Texel, Urk and Harlingen were visited, meeting with the skippers and crews of vessels involved with the Dutch trials. This proved to be a valuable source of information and excellent contacts were developed with both the Dutch and Belgium fishing industries. A knowledge gathering trip to the South West was also carried out, to assess the level of interest in the project for local Skippers, Agents and Producer Organisations.

It was decided that we would trial gear currently in use from a manufacturer supplying similar Outrigger trawls previously trialled by beam trawlers in both Holland and Belgium.

The main objective of the project was to establish the optimum rig for the gear and vessel and to evaluate how to handle the gear when shooting, hauling and fishing.

Other areas to be examined include; •

The effect in fishing performance by altering headline and fishing line extensions.

•

Observation of the trawl doors while shooting away.

•

Observation of the effects of trawl door and ground gear bottom contact.

•

Collection of fuel consumption data and comparison with normal beam trawling activity.

•

Catch and discard sampling (although limited information could be gathered over such a small number of hauls and while the gear was being set up).

•

General observation, filming and photographs of gear configuration and fishing operation.

2.2. Charter application and vessel selection An e-mail was sent to the NFFO, Producer Organisations and interested vessel owners and skippers informing them of the tender requirements. The applicants were then short listed and the short listed vessels visited and assessed for suitability. This was carried out using the Seafish vessel tender document (see Appendix 1).

The vessel was selected of suitable size, horsepower and with the capability to handle the gear on board without having to make any major alterations to deck layout.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Selected Beam Trawler:Admiral Gordon PH 330 Owners - Interfish Limited. Wallsend Ind Estate,Cattedown,Plymouth Built -1989 Main Engine - 300hp Registered length - 20.65m Overall length - 22.21m Gross tonnage - 137t Bollard pull approx - 8.5t

Admiral Gordon PH 330

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

2.3. Fishing gear As a demonstration project, the preferred option was to purchase a design of Outrigger trawl similar to those currently in use by other vessels.

The fishing gear was sourced from Belgian trawl makers Vlaamse Visserij Cooperatie (V. V. C.) and they recommended a set of gear with trawl doors and spreaders to suit the vessel.

Rigging Outrigger trawls in Plymouth prior to sea trials

2.3.1. Gear

The maximum door spread of the trawl for Outrigger trawling is dictated by the beam of the vessel and the length of the derricks. Other factors such as towing power and the capability to handle the gear aboard are also crucial.

The net will spread in both directions, outwards beyond the length of the derrick as well as inwards towards the vessel, the maximum spread of the trawl will be twice the length of the derrick from the gooseneck to the towing point keeping the doors the distance between the two goosenecks apart. This avoids, as much as is possible, the chance of the doors crossing over each other and the gear becoming entangled.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Diagram of the Rig

Goose neck

Towing point Distance between Goosenecks

Derricks

Warp

Min distance between doors Split Warps

Max door spread Doors

Headline

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2.3.2. Trawl plans

Upper Panel

length

65

5

5

1N2B

AB

AB

38 13.5

30

1N2B

1N2B

mesh size mm

Diam mm

90 4 PE

38

81

1N2B

160 4 PE

68 100

90

2N2B

2N2B

90 4 PE

40

50

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AN

7

85

4 Dbl PE

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Lower Panel mesh length

65

17

17

1N6B

AB

AB

38

mesh size mm

1N6B

Diam mm

90 4 PE

38

19.5 AB

37

26

37

AB

160 4 Nylon

99

90

2N2B

2N2B

90 4 PE

40

50

AN

AN

85 4 Dbl PE

Headline length 14m 6.25m

1.5m

6.25m

Fishing line length 18.5m 8.75m

1.0m

8.75m

Ground gear length 17.5m

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

2.3.3. Ground gear rig

Initial ground gear set up for trials

Headline and fishing line are constructed of 18mm combination rope.

The ground gear consisted of 6”rubber discs rigged onto 13mm long link chain with 1.5m x 13mm short link chain bights and two links of 11mm long link chain to attach the ground gear to the fishing line of the trawl.

Upper extensions - 4m x 16mm wire Lower extensions - 4m x 22mm long link chain Spreaders – 30m x 22mm wire

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2.3.4. Trawl doors

6 slot flat steel trawl doors with 3 attachment points top and bottom at the aft end of the door for net height adjustments. The towing arms come together to give a single towing point to which the split warps are attached.

Door dimensions; - area/m² 1.95 Weight 300kg each

2.27 m 2.27 0.75 m 1.3 m

1.3 m

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

2.4. Fuel Measurements In order to assess any fuel saving derived from the change in gear and fishing methods, fuel flow meters were fitted to both the main engine (used solely for propulsion) and the auxiliary engine (used for the hydraulic and electrical demands of the vessel). The meter selected for use were Floscan www.floscan.com fuel flow meters supplied by Merlin equipment, www.merlinequipment.com/ and fitted by Seacraft Marine of Poole.

The multifunction meters give a digital readout of Engine Hours, Tachometer, Fuel flow and Fuel totaliser.

Floscan fuel flow meters – fitted on the Admiral Gordon

The skipper was given a log sheet to record the trip data and the fuel used during each trip (see Appendix 2). This provided a comparison of fuel usage between trips carried out using the outrig trawls and trips using the beam trawls.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

3. Sea trials The fishing gear trawl doors and bridles were delivered to Plymouth on 28th June 2007 where the charter vessel Admiral Gordon and crew and Seafish technologists took the gear on board.

The nets were rigged straight behind the trawl doors with the 4mtr extensions between the nets and the doors.

The vessel then steamed to Brixham for two days sea trials 30th June – 1st July, this was on reasonably clean seabed and in sheltered waters 10 miles east of Brixham.

This stage of the trial allowed the crew to familiarise themselves with hauling and shooting the gear and Seafish technologists to establish the optimum rig of the gear using the Scanmar net monitoring system.

This two day trial was followed by a further two days of familiarisation on fishing grounds 12 mile south of Milford Haven to assess how the gear performed and to further monitor the gears performance.

After the initial Seafish trials the gear remained with the vessel to allow them to use the gear on commercial fishing trips to further assess how the gear performed and to assess its commercial viability and to point out any further gear developments or modifications that may be required.

3.1.

Trip 1 - Technical Trial June/ July 07

Seafish staff on board: M. Humphrey R. Caslake M. Montgomerie Vessel crew: Archie Donaldson (skipper) + 3 crewmen The Admiral Gordon sailed from Plymouth to Brixham on the 29th and spent the night in port in order to be nearer the fishing grounds 10 miles east of Brixham. These grounds are essentially clean bottom beam trawling grounds and would give a general indication of how the Outriggers fished in comparison to beam gear.

It was decided that for the first couple of days of the trials, as this was to be a demonstration project, fishing would be restricted to daylight hours as both the skipper and most of the crew were inexperienced with this type of rig.

The vessel sailed at approximately 08:00am on the 30th June and steamed to the fishing grounds and shot away at about 11:00am. Before being shot the trawls were fitted with Scanmar headline height and wing end spread sensors. Because the trawls are attached immediately behind the doors it was not necessary to use door spread sensors.

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Scanmar sensors behind the doors and attached to the headline

Shooting the gear for the first time, the crew handled the gear on board reasonably easily although there were some problems with the trawl doors crossing at the derrick ends, this was remedied by ensuring that the cod end decky rope which is attached from the top of the inner door at the aft end and down to the cod end was kept taught until the belly of the trawl and the bag were streaming alongside the vessel as the derricks were lowered.

The nets were shot away and the doors were observed to spread away nicely. Warp to depth ratio was set at approximately 3:1 with a towing speed of around 3 knots.

The gear was allowed to settle and Scanmar readings were taken approximately every 30 minutes for the duration of the 2 hour tow. A headline height of 1.4m and a door spread of around 8.5m was observed on both nets for each set if gear.

Readings from the fuel flow meters were taken at regular intervals every 10-15 minutes throughout the trip giving the total fuel used and the litres per hour being used at any specific point during fishing operations.

Observations of the gear during hauling showed that the trawls were digging in well and that the trawl doors were also showing signs of even polish along shoes.

The lower extension chains and the chain bights in the ground gear were also well polished indicating heavy ground contact. Both nets were catching a similar amount.

The catch composition confirmed that the gear was well down on the seabed with a large proportion of benthic waste present in both sides of gear. Samples of each tow were taken and retained on board to be taken ashore for analysis by Stephen Cotterell of Plymouth University.

The skipper commented that the quantities of fish caught were more than he would have expected from his beam gear for a similar length of tow in the area for the time of year.

The second tow was on the same grounds again for 2 hours with the same procedure followed for Scanmar and fuel readings. Shooting the gear was accomplished easier than the first shot and the gear was hauled and shot away again within 30 minutes. The crew were already becoming more confident in

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handling the gear on the deck. The same 3:1 warp to depth ratio was used at the same towing speed.

Observations on hauling indicted that the gear was still making good bottom contact with the doors shining evenly along the shoes and all extensions and chain droppers were well polished. The Scanmar readings were taken and similar figures to the first haul were recorded. A wheelhouse log containing catch composition and quantities is contained in the results section of this report.

Hauling and boarding the gear was a reverse of the shooting process and the skipper and crew managed this without any problems. Still camera shots and video footage was taken by Seafish staff members of the day’s activity. The skipper kindly supplied a written commentary of his procedure during Shooting, hauling and boarding the gear and this is included in this report (see Appendix 3).

The vessel returned to Brixham for the night where alterations were made to length of the 4m extensions these were reduced to 1m mainly to get the trawls higher in the blocks and ease the trawls being lifted over the side of the vessel during shooting and hauling when the derricks are topped. Observations would be made the following day to see if the alterations affected the fishing capabilities of the gear.

July 1st sailed at 08:00 for the same grounds 10 mile east of Brixham and had two hauls again to allow the skipper and crew practice in hauling and shooting the gear.

On the first shot the crew got gear away in 25 minutes finding that with the shorter 1mtr extensions when the derricks were topped, it was a lot easier to lift the trawls off the deck and to swing the belly of the trawls over the side of the boat.

The gear was then allowed to settle before Scanmar readings were taken.

These showed that the door spread had been reduced; the headline heights data was not available due to the sensors not operating, although this was remedied for the following tow.

Warp tension meters were fitted to both sides in order to establish loads.

Port and starboard load cells both showed 1.6t towing with the tide and increased to 1.8t later in the tow against the tide. The load cells were removed for the 4th tow.

Warp Tension meters

The wind on the second day increased slightly to around a force 4-5 with choppy sea conditions but was not an issue when working the gear. Again over the next two

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hauls the gear was observed to be making good ground contact and was possibly on the heavy side as indications from the catch in both trawls again showed a large percentage of benthic waste. The alteration to the extension length appeared to have little effect to the fishing of the gear as quantities in both hauls were similar to the previous days hauls with the longer 4mtr extension fitted. The crew found the gear a lot easier to handle with the shorter 1m extensions as the net and ground gear could be raised higher out of the water when boarding the gear.

The Admiral Gordon then steamed back into Brixham to drop off Seafish staff to transfer the vehicle back to Plymouth our final port of landing at the end of the trials.

The vessel then steamed around to Plymouth to collect the Seafish staff.

We sailed from Plymouth at around midnight on the 2nd July and steamed to the Smalls fishing grounds off the Welsh coast to try the gear over what was hoped to be more productive fishing grounds and in close proximity to prawn grounds, a steam of 20hours.

Tuesday 3rd July arrived at Smalls ground and shot the gear away for a couple of tows over clean sandy ground. It was felt that as results from previous tows showed that there was little fluctuation in the gear parameters from tow to tow it was not necessary to have the Scanmar sensors on the trawls.

As previously observed the crew were able to shoot the gear without any problems and had now developed a routine (included in the narrative supplied by the skipper).

The gear was towed for 2 hours at a depth of 30 fathoms with a warp ratio of 3:1.

Observations were again made of the condition and wear on the trawl doors which appeared to be polishing evenly along the keels. The bights of chain around the belly of the trawl and along the wings were polished almost up to the rubber discs of the ground gear and there appeared to be no excessive wear on the netting in the lower wings and belly sections of the trawls. Both trawls were observed to catch similar quantities over these two hauls with less benthic waste present. The crew reduced shooting times between the two tows down to 15 minutes.

The following hauls were again on the Smalls ground but in an area of deeper water of around 50 fathoms where it was expected we would catch some prawns. Again the warp to depth ratio was approximately 3:1.

It was decided to lengthen the duration of these tows to 4 hours each. This would be roughly the length of time a vessel would tow under normal fishing operations and should give an indication of catch quantity possible with the outrigger gear, providing there are prawns on the ground.

The first haul produced small quantities of prawn mostly under size.

The following tow, in slightly deeper water of 56 fathoms and with 175 fathoms of warp out produced very little fish and no prawns.

The skipper concluded that because of the lack of other fishing vessel activity in the area it was quite likely that there was not much fish on the grounds.

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The last tow of the trial was slightly closer in on the Smalls ground and for a duration of 2 hours. Again it was in a depth of 50 fathom with 150 fathom of warp out, giving a 3:1 warp to depth ratio and towing at a speed of 3 knots. The tow produced the best haul of mixed fish of the trip with a good mark of sole, rays, skate and flats. The chains continued to show polish and wear around the belly and out to the wings of the trawl.

The toes of the trawls also showed good ground contact with no damage to the trawl netting. The trawl doors also showed even polishing along the keels.

The skipper remained confident that the gear was fishing comparable if not better than his conventional beam gear and was confident that if there were fish on the grounds he would catch them with the outrigger gear.

Wednesday 4th July returned to Plymouth and off loaded equipment. This concluded the technical setup.

3.2. Independent commercial trip July 07 The fishing gear remained with the Admiral Gordon as it was Archie’s (the skipper) intention to continue using the gear for the following commercial trips. Archie and the crew sailed again on the 7th July and shot the gear and carried out a couple of unsuccessful tows in Lyme Bay before boarding the gear and steaming up to the Bristol Channel in search of better fishing.

The Admiral Gordon then fished for a few days in the Bristol Channel without great success before steaming back to try fishing from Start point on the South coast of Devon. During this period Archie was in constant contact the Belgian Trawl maker Noel Dugardein formally with VVC Equipment and now with BVBA Brevisco in Belgium. It became clear that the gear, previously thought to have been made by Noel himself at VVC, had actually been built after he had left the firm, and not made to Noel’s original specification.

Archie decided to go ashore in Torquay to make some of the alterations suggested

by Noel to try to improve the performance of the gear. With the changes made the vessel sailed again to resume fishing from Start point. After a number of hauls, the alterations did appear to improve the performance of the gear, but the vessel was still not catching enough fish to turn a profit. The decision was to return to Plymouth to put the gear ashore and replace it with the standard beams.

The results of this trip were reported back to Seafish technologists, after consultation with the skipper and Noel Dugardein it was decided that the best approach would be for Noel to travel over to Plymouth and alongside Seafish staff would re-rig the gear to the specifications currently being used successfully by the Belgium fleet.

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3.3. Ground gear alterations Plymouth 23rd- 25th July Noel arrived at Plymouth and was met by Mike Humphrey and Gus Caslake of Seafish. After pulling the gear out onto the quay it was decided that the best way to make the alterations was to remove the fishing line from the ground gear and net.

The combination wire being replaced by 20mm Delphin rope and 4.6m of 9mm long link chain in the bosom of the trawl. All shackles for dangler chains and fishing line attachments were removed with the original ground chain cut to a 4m length for the bosom of the trawl. 150mm rubbers were spaced loosely along the length of the bosom, danglers shortened and the new fishing line chain attachments shackled every other link.

The ground gear rig on the trawls was altered and made lighter to reduce the stiffness of the overall rig and to reduce quantities of benthic discards seen with the heavier ground gear.

Initial ground gear rig

Lighter rig

The 13mm chain in the wings was replaced by 6.7m of 11mm long link chain per side and threaded with 90mm rubbers. Dangler chains and fishing attachments shackled along the wings. Wearing rope and net removed from combo fishing line and re-rigged to delphin rope. Square mesh panel was removed and replaced and the fishing line reattached to the ground gear using bindings to single links. The wing end ropes were also replaced with the correct length delphin rope.

Bosom attachments

The results of these changes made the gear a lot lighter and allowed it to take up a better shape with improved spread.

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3.4. Trip 2 - Commercial trip Aug 16-21st 07 (accompanied) The altered gear was transported from Plymouth to Penzance to enable the vessel to change rigs without the need for the additional trip to Plymouth. The gear was boarded, with the single decky being replaced by a bridle decky system attached to both doors, with one metre extensions between the doors and wing ends.

The vessel sailed on the 16th August the skipper and crew being accompanied by Gus Caslake of Seafish onboard to assess the performance of the gear and sample the catch. The intended fishing area was south of Milford Haven to the East of the Smalls ground. During the course of the trip 21 hauls were carried out with an average length of tows being 3 hours. Catches consisted of mainly sole mixed flats and ray. A log was kept recording the ships position, catch rates and fuel usage these can be seen in the results section.

The skippers general opinion of the trawl was that it was performing significantly better than prior to the ground gear alterations. It was clear from the initial hauls that the gear had improved ground contact due to the increased flexibility of the ground gear.

The change to the dual bridle decky did not prove effective as it was difficult for the crew to retrieve the decky when the gear was alongside causing problems with the doors spinning when they were hanging from the blocks, delaying the gear being shot back. This arrangement was subsequently adjusted to the original single decky after the fifth haul. After returning to the single bridle system and the crew gaining more experience and confidence with the gear all the handling problems were resolved.

Several large boulders were encountered during the trip resulting in damage to the belly of both the nets this led to some loss of fishing time but the nets did not prove difficult to repair. The vessel landed back in Penzance for the 21st of August the catch being transported over land to be landed on Plymouth market.

3.5. Trip 3 – Commercial trip Aug 23-30th 07 (accompanied) After a short break Archie and crew mustered in Penzance for the second part of the trip. On this trip they were accompanied by both Gus Caslake of Seafish and Stephen Cotterell of Plymouth University onboard to carry out some benthic sampling on the catches.

Prior to leaving the harbour the gear was hauled up into the blocks; the bridles on the back of the doors were lengthened on the starboard side from 1m to 4m to try and improve the door spread and then compare the catch results with those on the port side. The nets were checked through for damage and repaired where necessary. Intended fishing area for this trip was off St Gowans just off the southwest coast of Wales an area slightly to the west of the previous trip.

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1 metre extensions – Port side

4 metre extensions – Starboard side

The trip consisted of 43 hauls over an eight day period. As with the last trip a number of boulders were encountered during the course of the trip causing damage to the nets, resulting in further lost fishing time. Archie suggested it would be worth looking at adding flip-up ropes to the gear to avoid picking up the larger stones.

4. Catch Sampling The sampling method largely followed Course et al. (1996) and Cotterell (2006).

After observing the first haul to work out the best practice for collecting samples, sub-samples of each haul from both port and starboard gear were taken, as far as practicable.

The following information was recorded for each haul: • • •

• •

Haul number. Each haul was sequentially numbered. Whether samples were taken form the port or starboard sides was also noted.

Date and time of shoot and haul, and thus duration of the tow.

Start and haul position was noted from the vessel’s GPS. Also the general direction of the tow was noted and whether significant course alterations had taken place. An electronic record of the trawl tracks was also kept allowing the vessel’s location to be allied with sediment information from the British Geological Survey.

Depth from the vessel’s echo sounder.

A species by species composition of the haul to be landed and a summary statistic of the volume of fish retained, to be used as a raising factor between the sample and the haul.

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(measured first and then processed by the crew), those to be discarded (measured next then discarded) and the remaining part of the sample was double labelled and bagged. This was stored in the fish hold for later analysis and identification.

On a number of hauls the catches from each side were kept separate for comparison, no significant difference was observed during the course of this trip between the different length extensions. This was a repeat of the results found in the engineering trials.

Analysis of the benthic samples is ongoing and the following questions are being addressed: •

• •

• •

How much of the sample was retained or discarded fish or shellfish and how much was non-fish (other invertebrates) or other material and how this relates to other types of fishing gear.

What the species and size range composition of the samples suggests about the general characteristics of the area.

Whether there were any significant differences in the species composition of the samples that could be attributed to environmental conditions (between day and night samples, shallower and deeper grounds, and differences due to changes in substrates).

The extent to which the samples were representative of the hauls.

Whether the differences in sample composition can be attributed to the differences in the gear arrangement between the port and starboard sides.

Whilst at sea the opportunity was taken to collect samples of small rays, the aim of which is to enhance the understanding of the genetic range of this group. 9 Raja batis and a further 250 specimens from the four common species (R. microocelleata, R. naevus, R. brachyura and R. clavata) were collected.

Overall the catch rates from the trip Archie felt were satisfactory and similar to the catches expected when fishing with the beams. On landing the fish did not make as much money as expected this due to market forces and the reduced fish prices on the day of landing.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

5. Results 5.1. Catch results The aim of the outrig trawls was to maintain a level of retained catch as seen when fishing with the beam trawls, reduce bottom impact and reduce fuel consumption, along side trialling the gear in alternative fisheries such as Nephrops and cuttlefish.

A reduction in total discards would hope to be achieved through the alterations made to the original rigging of the net after the technical trials.

Funding would allow further reductions in discards to be sought through technical development of the gear, focusing on the use of benthic panels and a reduction in total drag of the gear through trials using lighter more hydrodynamic doors. An investigation could also be carried out into using smaller diameter twines in the netting thus further reducing the drag of the gear. Improved benthic data collections could be achieved in collaboration with Marine Institute of the University of Plymouth and the Marine Biological Association (MBA) Plymouth (see Appendix 4 – Catch sample data - Trip 1, Wheelhouse log and catch composition).

5.1.1. Trip 1 Engineering Trials

Market Port – Plymouth Sailing Date – 30.06.2007 Landing Date – 04.07.2007 The engineering trials consisted of 9 hauls in three locations (see table and chart below). The locations were set up to give the greatest variety of tows and target species in the time. The initial four hauls were carried out in daylight from Brixham this enabled the crew to work out the best methods for handling the gear and the Scanmar gear readings to be taken and the gear set at its optimum. The area was chosen for its easy access to clean ground to minimise the chances of damaging the gear.

Haul no

Haul date

Haul time

Haul depth

Tow duration

1

30/06/07

13:00

24fth

2hrs

2

30/06/07

15:30

22fth

2hrs

3

01/07/07

11:30

23fth

2hrs

4

01/07/07

14:00

24fth

2hrs

5

02/07/07

22:35

32fth

2hrs

6

03/07/07

01:50

31fth

3hrs

7

03/07/07

10:00

61fth

4hrs

8

03/07/07

14:30

50fth

4hrs

9

03/07/07

21:00

55fth

2hrs

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Shoot Lat Long 50.26.68N 03.14.53W 50.28.70N 03.09.80W 50.25.69N 03.15.81W 50.26.00N 03.15.30W 51.27.29N 05.05.30W 51.30.50N 05.11.60W 51.21.11N 05.59.89W 51.14.04N 06.11.75W 51.33.50N 05.51.48W

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Haul Lat Long 50.27.55N 03.10.90W 50.25.30N 03.14.00W 50.24.20N 03.15.04W 50.29.40N 03.09.16W 51.30.50N 05.11.60W 51.32.13N 05.27.01W 50.16.38N 06.12.24W 51.07.87N 06.03.01W 51.33.35N 05.40.09W

Tow Direction

I.C.E.S. rectangle

NNE

VIIe

SSW

VIIe

SSW

VIIe

NNE

VIIe

NW

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VIIg

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VIIg

S

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

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During the first day of the trial two hauls were carried out. The gear was rigged with the 4 metre extensions on the back of the door. An average spread of 8.9m and a headline height of 1.4m were recorded by the Scanmar net monitoring equipment.

The tow times were 2 Hrs in an average water depth of 25 fathoms. 75 fathoms of warp was paid out to give a 3:1 warp to depth ratio the trawls being towed at a range of speeds from 2.0 to 3.3 knots. Catch rates during the day were low, as was expected for the area and the shortened tow times.

At the end of the day the gear was altered and the 4m extensions were replaced with one meter lengths. This resulted in a reduction in door spread from 8.9m to an average of 7.1m and an increase in headline height from 1.4m to 1.6m. (Table 1 and Appendix 5). The same grounds were fished as the previous day with the warp to depth ratio again set at 3:1 and a tow time of 2 hours. The crew found the gear a lot easier to handle with the shorter 1m extensions as the net and ground gear could be raised higher out of the water when boarding the gear. There was no significant change in catch rates as a result of this change.

Table 1 - Scanmar Gear Parameters (Brixham tows)

EXTENSION

HEAD LINE HEIGHT (port)

DOOR SPREAD

HEAD LINE HEIGHT (star)

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

TOW SPEED Knots

4m 1m

1.4 1.6

8.9 7.1

1.4 1.6

8.9 1.6

25 25

75 75

2.9 2.9

In order to test the gear on more productive mixed fish and prawn grounds the skipper steamed to the Small’s grounds off the SW coast of Wales. Results from the

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

5 hauls conducted in both the deeper water for prawns and closer to the Smalls targeting fish were low. (Table 2 and Appendix 5) This was thought to be the result of few fish on the grounds as there were not other fishing vessels working the same area, rather than deficiencies with the gear.

Table 2 - 4 Hauls conducted at the Smalls 5 6 7 8 9

3.5 baskets

3 st

5 ST RAY, 2 1/2SOLE, 3ST MIXED

8 baskets

9.5 st

1/2 BSKT PRAWN, 3ST MIXED

10 baskets

5 st

2.5 baskets

2 st

10 baskets

9 st

2 1/2 ST MIXED, 1/2SOLE

Fine sand

Fine sand

2 ST MIXED 1ST SOLE, 3ST RAY, 5 MIXED FLAT

Sand, Mud Sand, Mud Sand

The final haul of the trial proved to be the most productive with a good mix of sole, flats and rays. Archie was happy that the gear was fishing effectively. The gear remained onboard and was used on the vessel’s next commercial fishing trip.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

5.1.2. Trip 2 Commercial trials

Market Port – Plymouth Sailing Date – 16.08.2007 Landing Date –21.08.2007 Prior to the commencement of the commercial trials the gear had been modified by Noel Dugardein of BVBA Brevisco in Belgium and Mike Humphrey and Gus Caslake of Seafish.

Fishing during this trip took place to the East of the Smalls ground off the Welsh coast.

Tow times were set at 3 hours and 21 hauls were completed during the trip (See Appendix 6 for Wheelhouse log and catch sample data).

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Of the 21 hauls carried out during this trip 17 were sampled. Retained catches consisted of a range of mixed flatfish (mainly plaice, Dover sole, lemons and a few turbot) rays and lesser spotted dogfish, the dogfish being sold as bait.

Discards consisted of non-commercial species including dragonets, poor cod, and dab and commercial species under the minimum landing size, including plaice, haddock, whiting and gurnards. Of the 21 hauls carried out during this trip 17 were sampled alternating between the two trawls, the average volumes retained and discarded can be seen in the table below; Trip 2 – Average Retained/Discarded rates by Volume VOL. RETAINED

VOL. DISCARDED

64%

17%

VOL. BENTHOS

19%

The level of discards was 17% of the sampled volume this compares favourably when compared samples taken from a beam trawler’s hauls.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Retained catches per haul constituted 64% of the samples taken and varied between 8-16 stone of prime fish (1-3 stone of soles, 4-8 stone of rays and 4-6 stone of mixed flats, mainly plaice). 5-15 stone of lesser spotted dogfish were retained per haul for the bait market.

The benthic element of the catch was made up of mixed crabs, both spider and edible, brittle stars and various marine litter. The benthic element from each of the sampled hauls was collected and retained for onshore analysis by Stephen Cotterell of Plymouth University.

The skipper was happy with the performance of the gear, in terms of the catches and commented that they were comparable to those seen in the beam trawls. The major differences in catch composition from a standard beam trawl catch were that the sole catches were down slightly and that the ray catches were up, particularly with respect to the larger run of rays.

5.1.3. Trip 3 Commercial trials

Market Port – Plymouth Sailing Date – 23.08.2007 Landing Date –30.08.2007 Archie and the crew were accompanied by both Gus Caslake of Seafish and Stephen Cotterell of Plymouth University onboard to carry out some benthic sampling on the catches. Fishing took place at the Smalls ground off the Welsh coast 10-20 miles further west than the previous trip. Tow times remained set at 3 hours and during the trip, 43 hauls were shot in total. The first 18 and last 2 hauls were on a shallower but stonier ground (called the north and south area). The middle 23 were further to the west and deeper (see Appendix 7 for catch and haul details).

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

The target species were again Dover sole, plaice and rays. Catches during this trip was slightly better for soles and flat fish, with the best of the hauls consisting of 5-6 stone of sole, 6-8 stone of mixed flats, though not so many rays being caught, the best hauls being only 1-2 stone. A number of good sized Turbot where caught during the trip which boasted the landings.

The first haul was observed to decide the best sampling procedures to adopt.

Amongst the remaining 42 hauls, 28 samples were taken of the port gear and 26 from the starboard side. The reason for not collecting samples was due to the catch containing too much sediment, occasional large rocks or other debris,having to haul the gear early because of a hitch, or as a result of gear damage.

PORT VOL. RETAINED

VOL. DISCARDED

49.07%

28.15%

STARBOARD VOL. BENTHOS

22.78%

VOL. RETAINED

46.84%

VOL. DISCARDED

VOL. BENTHOS

32.89%

20.26%

The catch composition volumes from each net can be seen above. The volumes are very similar between the two sides the differences can be explained by the two nets fishing slightly differently and the differing sorting practices between individuals.

The decrease in retained volume and increase in discarded volume from trip 2 are mainly due to the increased catches of unmarketable fish during this trip.

The LF below shows the Dover sole sampled during trip 3. All sole are retained showing that the outrig trawls are very selective for sole resulting in no fish being discarded.

Dover Sole Length Frequency Trip 3 35

MLS

30

Frequency

25 DISCARDED

20 RETAINED

15 10 5 0 10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Length (cm)

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

The LF for plaice below shows a retained number, from sampled hauls of 221 (52%) and discards totalling 207 (48%)

Plaice Length Frequency Trip 3 60

MLS

50

Frequency

DISCARDED 40 RETAINED 30 20 10 0 10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Length (cm)

Although the gear in its current form can be seen to be very selective for some species further reductions in discards can be made through technical development of the gear. The use of benthic panels, square mesh cod ends and further modifications to the ground gear will aid in reducing discards and benthic impact.

The table below shows the landings (in Baskets) to Plymouth market for trip for trip 3. Dover sole constituted the biggest landing for any one species and due to the price fetched at market for this species made up over 2/3 of the total value of landings for the trip. Due to market forces on the day of landing prices were lower than were expected.

Landings tally book (43kg box average) Species Dogs (Lesser Spotted) Plaice Ray Wings Dover Sole Ray Backs Turbot Brill Megrims Lemons Monk

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Boxes 14.50 17.25 7.00 20.00 7.00 2.75 2.75 4.75 3.00 1.25

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

5.2. Fuel results Fuel logs were used by Archie and the Seafish staff (when onboard) to keep a record of total fuel usage per trip and the amount of litres/hour being consumed during the course of the fishing trip. Problems arose early on with the fuel flow meters accuracy as the amount of fuel taken at the end of the trip did not correspond with the reading on the fuel flow meter.

Prior to Trip 1 the fuel meters were zeroed for the main and the auxiliary engine and the vessels fuel tanks fully pressed. The readings were taken during the trip and at the end of the trip the vessel tanks were refilled with 5710 litres. The meter readings were 5338 litres and 2913 litres for the main engine and auxiliary engines respectively. This showed a discrepancy of 2541 litres a proportion of this could be down to differing levels in the 500 litre day tank but it was clear that there were accuracy issues with the total recorded levels on the fuel meters. It was though that the litres per hour readings displayed by the fuel were correct as this are recorded independently of the total fuel consumption figure. It was first thought that the meters need some time in situ to settle down but this problem continued throughout the course of the trials.

Observation made by the skipper during a trip in December 07 fuel tanks were fully pressed with 12263 litres of fuel on landing the vessel took 8950 litres to completely press the tanks – flow meters indicated a consumption for the trip of 11,243 litres an error of 2,293 litres an error of just over 20%. These results were relayed to the manufacturer via the UK supplier who has supplied feedback on calibrating and improving the performance of the fuel measuring systems.

The actual total amount of fuel used being the amount taken at the end of the trip to fully press the tanks is used to carry out the cost comparison below; 5.2.1. Fuel Cost Comparison

Beam Trawls vs Outrig Trawls Comparison of fuel usage between the <221kW vessel the Admiral Gordon (PH330) working standard 4m beam trawls with chain mats and the same vessel operating the outrig trawling system.

During the 6-day Seafish trial to test the Outrig trawl, Total Fuel used = 5710 litres or 952 litres per day During the subsequent 9-day trip using standard 4m beam trawls with chain mat.

Total fuel used = 11600 litres or 1289 litres per day This equates to a 337 litre per day or a 35% fuel saving. On average vessels carry out approximately 250 days per year at sea. Estimated fuel saving per year is 84250 litres. Current fuel price stands at £0.38 pence per litre a total yearly saving of £32,000 per year.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

This analysis must be taken in context as the trials were carried out over a relatively short period of time. It does reflect similar fuel savings seen by the Dutch and Belgian fishermen using similar gears. We would hope that by carrying out further trials, increased reductions in fuel usage could be achieved by modifications to the nets and the use of more hydrodynamic doors. It should also be noted that this vessel is one of the smaller class of ‘Euro beamers <221kW’ towing limited size beams. On the larger horsepower vessels, towing beams up to 12m in length, even greater fuel savings are expected.

Comparison between Beaming and Outrig Trawling Fuel Consumption Data from a total of six trips, two trips using Beam trawls and a further four trips using the Outrig trawls, has been analysed and is shown in the chart below. This shows the fuel consumption in litres per hour whilst towing the gear, displayed by the fuel flow meters, for the main engine. The blue plots are for the Outrig trips and the pink plots for the beam trawl trips. The chart clearly shows that during beam trawl tows the revs are set a lot higher in comparison to the Outrig trawls to achieve the desired towing speed. This result is higher fuel usage with an average fuel consumption of 68 litres per hour and 39 litres per hour when towing the Outrig trawls.

Beaming and Outrig Trawling Fuel Consumption 120

Beaming July 30th

100

Beaming July 17th

Ltr/Hr

80

Outrig June 30

60

Outrig 09 July

40

Outrig Trip 2 Aug 16

20

Outrig Trip 3 Aug 23

0 1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

Revs

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

The second chart shows the engine revs set by the Skipper during towing and the corresponding vessel speed over the ground. During beam trawling tows the revs are set at an average of 1504 to achieve an average speed of 4.4 knots. When fishing with the Outrig trawl the revs are set at an average of 1276 which achieves an average speed over the ground of 2.9 knots.

Speed Vs Revs 6.0

Speed Knots

5.0 Beaming July 17th

4.0 3.0

Outrig Trip 3 Aug 23

2.0 1.0 0.0 1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

Revs

Ltr/Hr

Revs

Speed over the Ground

Beaming

68

1504

4.4 knots

Outrig

39

1276

2.9 knots

It can be seen that when fishing with the Outrig trawls the skipper can significantly reduce fuel consumption when compared with beam trawling as the desired towing speed can be achieved at a much lower rev setting. If catches are comparable between the two methods of fishing, as was experienced during the latter stages of the trial, there is a significant economic benefit to be derived from using the Outrig trawls by reducing fuel consumption. The recent rise in fuel prices has resulted in the beam trawl fleet needing to contribute up to 60% of its gross earnings to cover its fuel costs. The use of Outrig trawls as an alternative to beam trawling will have a beneficial impact on the profitability and sustainability of this sector of the fleet.

Interfish Comments “The benefits for the main engine consumption rates appear to be significant and combining the consumption rate with the vessel speed over the ground and engine revs certainly will provide any vessel skipper with extremely valuable information irrespective of the type of fishing vessel. Based on this real time information adjustments can be made that will result in real savings of fuel consumption and ultimately more efficient operating expenses.”

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

6. Discussion 6.1. Trial Success/Failure The trial can be seen as a success in that the use of the gear was adopted and after some gear alteration and re-rigging, several profitable commercial trips were carried out by the Admiral Gordon. Although hampered by an unsuccessful bid for FIFG funding, gear development work has carried on between the tender vessel owners and the Belgian gear manufacturers, a clear indication that they recognise the advantages and benefits of this fishing method. Seafish technologists remain involved and a good working relationship has been built up between Interfish, Seafish and BVBA Brevisco and other research institutes.

6.2. Cost benefit The total cost of 2 sets of trawl doors, two nets and two sets of warps and bridles for Admiral Gordon to convert to Outrigging cost £11,500. Excluding ancillary gear and any changes required to the deck layout of the vessel, although, as was found with the Admiral Gordon, the majority of the Beam trawlers in the Southwest would require few, if any, alterations. The change over from beam trawling to setting up the Outrig system took no more than a couple of days on initial setup. The skipper and crew, with experience of the gear, could eventually change over from beam trawling to outrigging in half a day.

The costs of maintaining the gear is greatly reduced with very little damage to the body of the trawl during towing in comparison to the constant wear and the inevitable need for replacement of chain and dolly ropes in the beam gear. The increase in length of towing times and less hauls per trip for outrigger in comparison to beam trawling would mean less wear on towing warps leads and blocks reducing maintenance and replacement costs.

The Skipper and crew commented on the reduced time spent on gear maintenance with at least a day spent on maintaining the beam gear at the end of every trip. In contrast the Outrigger gear only needed minor repairs.

At the time of the trials with fuel at £0.38 pence per litre and the vessel saving around 337 litres per day in fuel, equating to a saving of £1280.00 over a ten day trip this would mean the vessel could recoup the cost of the outrigger gear in approximately nine trips on the fuel saving alone. This is without taking into account savings in gear maintenance costs.

6.3. Viability The use of Outrig trawling at the present time can be seen as an alternative to beam trawling only in specific areas at certain times of the year. A large percentage of the grounds currently worked by beam trawlers using chain mats would be unsuitable for the Outrig trawls in their current form. Further development work needs to be carried out on modifying the design of the gear to allow skippers to target a range of different species, including Nephrops and Cuttlefish, on a variety of seabed’s from soft mud bottoms to rough ground and boulders. It is Archie’s intention to change back to the Outrig system from April 08 and work the gear throughout the summer months.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

6.4. Future Application Future gear development could look at hopper trawl designs and scraper trawl designs and consider applying those techniques and rigs to the outrigger trawl where applicable, depending on sea bed condition. Increased reductions in fuel consumption could be achieved by modifications to the nets through smaller diameter high tenacity twines and the use of more hydrodynamic doors.

Seafish remains in constant contact with Archie and Interfish and have built an excellent working relationship with Willy Versluys and Noel Dugardein of BVBA Brevisco in Belgium. Current developments are looking at specific Outrig trawl and door setups in order to target species such as Nephrops and Cuttlefish.

6.5. Conclusions Although hampered by withdrawal of FIFG funding for gear development work, from a demonstration point of view, the trials were a success in confirming the findings of Dutch and Belgian trials that fuel savings can be made by adopting the Outrigger fishing method.

The gear used was found to be undersized for the vessel and could be increased.

An increase in headline and fishing line length would give more spread between the trawl doors and greater ground coverage when towing. As previously stated, the maximum trawl size suitable is dependant on several factors. The ability to handle the gear on deck when hauling and shooting is a major issue when deciding on gear length.

Trawls in use at present tend to have low head line height and are based on a sole trawl with designers applying beam trawl rigging techniques and ground gear. The major change for Skippers is getting accustomed to the increase in tow times and decrease in towing speeds.

Increases in the cost of fuel oil which will inevitably only get more expensive, will continue to drive Owners and Skippers to look for more cost effective ways of fishing. Outrigger is an option that requires little, if any, alteration to a vessel’s current layout. As seen in the trials, a competent crew and Skipper would soon become practiced at handling the system. The Owners and Skippers need to accept that any reduction in catch can be more than compensated for by the savings in fuel costs.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

7. Acknowledgements Andy Pillar – Fleet manager for Interfish Limited, Wallsend Industrial Estate, Cattedown Road Plymouth Archie Donaldson and the crew of the Admiral Gordon PH330.

Willy Versluys Noel Dugardein - Brevisco BVBA. Hendrik Baelskaai 2. 8400 Oostende. Belgium Stephen Cotterell from the University of Plymouth. Rm B501 Portland Square,School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences.

Hans Polet ILVO – Fishery, Ankerstraat 1.B-8400 Oostende. Belgium V V C Equipment, Kotterstraat 99, 8380 Zeebrugge,Belgium W Visser. Coop Visafslag, Den Helder/Texel UA.Holland Jan Visser . Visserijcooperatie,Urk, Holland.

Cees van den Burg - MFV NG I

8. References Cotterell, S. P. (2006). Fish landings, discards and benthic material from demersal trawling in the western English Channel (ICES VIIe). University of Plymouth, PhD thesis.

Course, G., Emberton, M. & Lart, W. (1996). Discard and effort survey: Channel ICES areas VIId and e 1995. Report No. 110 Project code MF0127. MAFF R&D Commission 1994/96. Sea Fish Industry Authority MAFF, 134 pp.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendices

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 1 – Seafish Vessel tender document Outrig Beam Trawl Charter Sea Fish Industry Authority invites tenders from vessels to carry out gear engineering and commercial fishing trials to evaluate the performance and commercial viability of outrig trawls designed to be worked by beam trawl vessels.

These vessels should be Beam trawler and normally use standard beam trawl gear between 4-12m. The vessel ideally should have space available accommodate up to 2 additional persons on a week long fishing trip. Vessel owners should be amenable to slight alterations to vessel layout and working practices to accommodate additional gear and catch handling procedures. The charter will be carried out during the course of a 5-day engineering trial and a full commercial trip(s). It should be noted that the scientific work would take precedence over any considerations of the size and value of the catch. Normal running costs will remain the vessels’ responsibility and the value of the catch will be deducted from the charter fee.

A clear bridge space is required for instrumentation and PC’s and a dedicated power supply is required. The working area is required to be such that gear can be easily accessed to enable attachment of electronic devices.

A flexible and helpful crew is essential, as they will be required to assist in gear handling and altering fishing gears. A direct interest by the Skipper/owner in this type of work would be advantageous.

The trials will be for 5 days engineering trials followed by up to 10 days commercial fish trials, some time in the period May to December 2007 (by mutual agreement).

The vessels should normally operate from a UK port and be familiar with the trawling grounds normally prosecuted from these ports. We expect the trials to initially target areas of clean ground to maximise the likelihood of trouble free tows during the calibration/engineering process. Skippers should be experienced on grounds where these conditions are met.

Interested parties are requested to submit a written tender (not faxed) quoting the rate per day with a brief description of vessel e.g. name, horsepower, tonnage, home port and details of gear currently in use. Inspections of short-listed vessels will then be arranged at a mutually convenient time and place.

‘Outrig Beam trawl Charter (2007/08)’ should be marked on the envelope. The lowest quote will not necessarily be accepted and we reserve the right to refuse vessels.

Any queries contact M_Humphrey@seafish.co.uk

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Vessel Checklist for Outrig Project 2007/8 Vessel

Reg No

HP

Built

OA Length m

Reg Length m

Contact

Tel Score /10

Relevant Certification for skipper and engineer Crew holds all basic certificates Vessel risk Assessment in place Safety briefing prior to sailing Experienced skipper Willing Crew Vessel Safety Equipment serviced and in good order Winches- capacity and number Deck area Wheelhouse area Access to 240 Gear monitoring system General Maintenance Vessel Cleanliness Alterations needed Bunks and accommodation Comments

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 2 Fuel Log Sheet instructions Vessel prior to having fuel flow meter fitted: Record Vessel Name, Date and Time of sailing in the relevant boxes Record the Start time of the given activity (i.e. steaming 09:30 - towing 18:00) in the table Record the revs, speed over the ground, tide +/- and sea state during each activity This need only be recorded once during each activity (i.e. when the vessel is set at her steaming revs or the gear is settled on the bottom and the revs are set to met the desired towing speed).

Don’t worry about changes in revs during the steam or tow one record per activity will be sufficient.

Record the Finish time of that activity (i.e. when the revs are eased back ready for shooting) Record each start and finish time for each tow during the trip (when the gear starts fishing until you finish the tow and start to haul).

Do not worry about recording short periods of time when idling between hauls unless you think it is relevant i.e. the gear will be along side for an extended period due to damage.

At the end of the trip Record the date and time of landing and the number of hauls completed for the trip.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vessels with fuel flow meters fitted: Record Vessel Name, Date and Time of sailing in the relevant boxes Record the total meter reading at the start of the trip Record the Start time of the given activity (i.e. steaming 09:30 - towing 18:00) in the table along with the total meter reading.

Record the fuel consumption in litres/hr, revs, speed over the ground, tide +/and sea state during each activity This need only be recorded once during each activity (when the vessel is set at her steaming revs or the gear is settled on the bottom and the revs are set to met the desired towing speed).

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Don’t worry about changes in revs during the steam or tow one record per activity will be sufficient.

Record the Finish time of that activity (i.e. when the revs are eased back ready for shooting) Record each start and finish time for each tow during the trip (when the gear starts fishing until you finish the tow and start to haul).

Do not worry about recording short periods of time when idling between hauls unless you think it is relevant i.e. the gear will be along side for an extended period due to damage.

At the end of the trip Record the date and time of landing and the number of hauls completed for the trip.

Record the total meter reading at the end of the trip

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 2 cont’d. Fuel Log – MFV Admiral Gordon Admiral Gordon Genny Zero Fuel flow meter after having taken fuel

Fuel meter reading on Refilling tanks

Time/Date Leave Harbour

Time/Date of Landing

Genny

Total Hauls for Trip

Main

Fuel meter reading on Sailing

Total fuel taken( Ltrs) Main

Genny

Main

SOG

Sea State

Fuel meter reading on Landing

Modifications since last trip - to gear or vessel (gear change, new net, antifoul, oils change etc)

Activity (idle, steaming, towing)

SR596

TIME

Flow Meter Reading

Fuel Consumption Reading ltr/hr

Revs

39

Tide +/knots

Notes

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 3 - Skippers Shooting and Hauling procedure.

Procedure for Shooting, Hauling and Boarding the Outrigger Gear Narrative by Archie Donaldson (skipper MV Admiral Gordon).

Shooting the gear 1. Release the doors that are restrained for steaming, with derricks at 45˚ 2. Ensure doors are clear of rails and possible snags to enable a quick lift off the deck.

3. Top the derrick up keeping tension on the back stay. Take the deckie rope forward and make it fast on the bits to stop the doors spinning. Lift the doors quickly so tension is on the deckie rope, top the derricks out to 45˚ keeping tension on the deckie rope.

4. Manhandle ground gear overboard checking for turns in the trawls.

5. Lift cod ends with gilson and check for turns before lifting outboard. Pass tail of rope through lifting beckets on cod end and make fast on cleat, slack gilsons and remove lifting hooks.

6. Put the boat in gear and when the strain is on the doors speed to 5 knots approximately, then release the forward deckie ropes. Keeping this rope tight until now is very important as it is attached to the inboard doors on each side preventing them from twisting together.

7. Select your course and release the cod ends, swim the gear and check for turns.

8. Lower the derricks until the doors are just clear of the water, shoot the doors away under tension and check they are spreading then pay away the warps.

Hauling the gear 1. Top the derrick to eye level to see the doors as they arrive in the blocks, ease back the revs slightly and begin hauling. As the doors come to the surface heave them straight and tight into the blocks.

2. Gaff the cod end deckie rope and take a turn on the loggerhead, increase speed to wash fish back into cod end.

3. Ease back on revs and begin heaving in the cod ends. When enough slack rope is available take forward quickly and make fast to prevent the trawl doors from spinning together.

4. Once the weight is on the cod end deckie rope knock the boat out of gear and winch in cod end, hook in gilson and lift cod end aboard.

Boarding the Gear When boarding the gear in fine weather top the derricks and Gilson the gear aboard in bights and stow on deck.

1. In adverse weather leave the door out and make the deckie rope to the doors fast up forward and top derricks to allow you to gilson the bag and belly of the trawl aboard using a strop placed as high as possible around the trawl, run the strop through a block aft on the rail and clip in the Gilson.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

2. Top the derricks to steaming position and heave in the Gilson to keep the gear tight and prevent it swinging round during steaming.

3. Lower the gear onto the deck when reaching calmer sea conditions.

Steaming with the gear tied to side rail

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 4 - Catch sample data - Trip 1 Trip Sampling Data from 9 Hauls, Tow times ranging from 2-4 hrs both from Brixham on the South Coast (trawled area between 500 26’ & 500 28’ North and 030 10’ & 030 15’ West) and St Gowans on the North Coast (trawled area between 510 14’ & 510 33’ North and 050 05’ & 060 11’ West).

Haul No.

Vol Retained Vol Discarded Fish Prawns Fish Prawns Crabs 1 0.20 0.30 2 0.10 0.25 3 0.25 0.20 4 0.20 0.35 5 0.25 0.20 0.50 6 0.30 0.30 0.40 7 0.15 0.10 0.20 0.55 8 0.25 0.65 0.05 9 0.20 0.30 0.25 Total 1.90 0.10 2.75 0.60 1.15 Fish Discards

by Vol. 31% => 2.75/9 Total fish Discards by Vol. of fish 59% =>2.75/1.9+2.75

Vol Benths 0.50 0.65 0.55 0.45 0.05 0.00 0.05 0.25 2.5

Total discards, from single basket samples taken for each of the nine hauls carried out during the trial amounted to an average of 59% by volume. Compared with the 71% discard rate seen by beam trawlers during CEFAS discard survey.

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A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Wheelhouse Log – Trip 1 Boat - Admiral Gordon Trip No – 1 Market Port – Plymouth Sailing Date – 30.06.2007 Landing Date – 04.07.2007 Haul no

Haul date

Haul time

Haul depth

Tow duration

1

30/06/07

13:00

24fth

2hrs

2

30/06/07

15:30

22fth

2hrs

3

01/07/07

11:30

23fth

2hrs

4

01/07/07

14:00

24fth

2hrs

5

02/07/07

22:35

32fth

2hrs

6

03/07/07

01:50

31fth

3hrs

7

03/07/07

10:00

61fth

4hrs

8

03/07/07

14:30

50fth

4hrs

9

03/07/07

21:00

55fth

2hrs

Shoot Lat Long 50.26.68N 03.14.53W 50.28.70N 03.09.80W 50.25.69N 03.15.81W 50.26.00N 03.15.30W 51.27.29N 05.05.30W 51.30.50N 05.11.60W 51.21.11N 05.59.89W 51.14.04N 06.11.75W 51.33.50N 05.51.48W

Haul Lat Long 50.27.55N 03.10.90W 50.25.30N 03.14.00W 50.24.20N 03.15.04W 50.29.40N 03.09.16W 51.30.50N 05.11.60W 51.32.13N 05.27.01W 50.16.38N 06.12.24W 51.07.87N 06.03.01W 51.33.35N 05.40.09W

Tow Direction

I.C.E.S. rectangle

NNE

VIIe

SSW

VIIe

SSW

VIIe

NNE

VIIe

NW

VIIg

WNW

VIIg

SW

VIIg

SE

VIIg

S

VIIg

Catch Composition for 9 hauls - Trip1 Haul no 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

SR596

Total fish (STONE) 2.5ST PLAICE, 1/2SOLE, 1/2MIXED 10 SOLE(NUMBER), 1ST MIXED 2ST MIXED, 1/2SOLE 2 ST MIXED, 3/4SOLE 2 1/2 ST MIXED, 1/2SOLE 5 ST RAY, 2 1/2SOLE, 3ST MIXED 1/2 BSKT PRAWN, 3ST MIXED 2 ST MIXED 1ST SOLE, 3ST RAY, 5 MIXED FLAT

Total Bulk 10 baskets

Total Retained

5 baskets

1.5 st

8 baskets

2.5 st

10 baskets 3.5 baskets 8 baskets 10 baskets 2.5 baskets 10 baskets

43

3.5 st

3 st 3 st 9.5 st 5 st 2 st 9 st

Ground Sand, shells, fine sand Sand, shells, fine sand Sand, shells, fine sand Sand, shells, fine sand Fine sand Fine sand Sand, Mud Sand, Mud Sand

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 5 - Scanmar Log sheets – Trip 1 Technical Trial HAUL1

PORT TRAWL

STBD TRAWL

TIME

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00

1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

8.9 8.9 9.1 9.1

1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

8.9 8.9 9.1 9.1

25 25 25 25

75 75 75 75

HAUL2

PORT TRAWL

STBD TRAWL

TIME

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

Not available Not available Not available 1.1

9.2

Not available

9.2

25

75

TOW SPEED Knots 2.0

8.7

Not available

8.6

25

75

3.1

8.8 9.2

Not available 1.1

8.8 9.2

25 25

75 75

2.3 2.0

HAUL3

PORT TRAWL

STBD TRAWL

TIME

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30

Not available Not available Not available Not available

6.8 6.8 6.5 6.8

Not available Not available Not available Not available

6.8 6.8 6.5 6.8

23.7 23.7 23.7 23.7

75 75 75 75

HAUL4

PORT TRAWL

STBD TRAWL

TIME

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

HEAD LINE HEIGHT

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00

1.6 1.6 1.6 Not available Not available

7.4 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.3

1.6 1.6 1.6 Not available Not available

7.4 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.3

25 25 25 25 25

75 75 75 75 75

13:30 14:00 14:30 15:30

HAUL no

TIME SHOT

HAUL TIME

5 6 7 8 9

22:00 22:45 06:00 10:30 19:00

22:30 01:30 10:00 14:30 21:00

SR596

PORT TRAWL HEAD LINE HEIGHT N\A N\A N\A N\A N\A

TOW SPEED Knots 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0

TOW SPEED Knots 3.3 2.7 2.5 2.5

TOW SPEED Knots 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0

STBD TRAWL DOOR SPREAD N\A N\A N\A N\A N\A

HEAD LINE HEIGHT N\A N\A N\A N\A N\A

44

DOOR SPREAD

DEPTH FTM

WARP OUT

N\A N\A N\A N\A N\A

30 30 52 56 50

100 100 160 175 150

TOW SPEED Knots 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 6 - Commercial Trial Trip 2 - Wheelhouse Log Haul no

Shoot date

Shoot time

Shoot depth

Tow duration

1

16/08/07

23:00

48fth

3hrs

2

17/08/07

02:15

36fth

1.5hrs

3

17/08/07

05:00

30fth

3hrs

4

17/08/07

11:30

29fth

2.5hrs

5

17/08/07

14:30

23fth

3hrs

6

17/08/07

17:45

28fth

3hrs

7

17/08/07

21:00

29fth

3hrs

8

18/08/07

00:15

26fth

3hrs

9

18/08/07

03:30

25fth

3hrs

10

18/08/07

11

20/08/07

01:00

26fth

2hrs

12

20/08/07

03:15

26fth

3hrs

13

20/08/07

06:30

26fth

3hrs

14

20/08/07

09:45

27fth

3hrs

15

20/08/07

13:00

26fth

3hrs

16

20/08/07

16:15

25fth

3hrs

17

20/08/07

19:30

29fth

2.5hrs

18

20/08/07

22:00

27fth

3hrs

19

21/08/07

01:15

29fth

3hrs

20

21/08/07

04:30

27fth

2.5hrs

21

21/08/07

07:45

27fth

3hrs

SR596

Shoot Lat Long

Haul Lat Long

51.33N 05.45W 51.32N 05.33W 51.31N 05.25W 51.27N 05.28W 51.29N 04.47W 51.28N 04.52W 51.28N 05.00W 51.29N 04.51W 51.28N 04.59W

51.32N 05.37W

NO DATA 51.29N 04.46W 51.28N 04.52W 51.29N 04.50W 51.29N 05.04W 51.28N 05.01W 51.29N 04.50W 51.28N 04.56W 51.29N 04.51W 51.28N 04.54W 51.28N 04.57W 51.27N 04.56W

Total fish (STONE)

51.32N 05.12W

Total Bulk Baskets

13

9

2

2

10

9

12

9

16

10

Haul Comments

Fish 2 SOL, 3 RAY(wings), 5 MIX

Boulder after 1 hr Rocks, doors spinning problems with bridled decky

1 SOL 2 SOL, 4 RAY, 2 MIX 1 SOL, 6 RAY, 3 MIX 4 SOL, 8 RAY, 4 MIX

Moved to single deck from bridle rig

8

8

16

12

3 SOL, 8 RAY, 3 MIX

11

9

2.5 SOL, 4 RAY, 5 MIX

8

7

1 SOL, 3 RAY, 2 MIX

1 SOL, 4 RAY, 4 MIX Large rock lots of damage doors, spun up into Tenby

10

11

2 SOL, 2.5 RAY, 4 MIX

8

9

1 SOL, 2 RAY, 3.5 MIX

15

10

2.5 SOL, 7 RAY, 4 MIX

30 (mainly LSD)

12

0.5 SOL, 5 RAY, 2 MIX

30 (mainly LSD)

12

2.5SOL, 5 RAY, 6 MIX

30 (mainly LSD)

11

2.5 SOL, 6 RAY, 6 MIX

18 (11 LSD)

10

2 SOL, 2 RAY, 3 MIX

26 (12 LSD)

10

3 SOL, 5 RAY, 6 MIX

22 (11 LSD)

10

3 SOL, 3 RAY, 5 MIX

17 (6 LSD)

10

2.5 SOL, 3 RAY, 5 MIX

15 (5 LSD)

10

2 SOL, 2.5 RAY, 4 MIX

45

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 6 cont’d. - Commercial Trial Trip 2 - Catch Sample Data Trip 2 HAUL NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Sum Average

SR596

VOL. RETAINED

VOL. DISCARDED

VOL. BENTHOS

0.50 0.80 0.85 0.40 0.85 0.75 0.40

0.50 0.20 0.15 0.40 0.10 0.10 0.15

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.05 0.15 0.45

0.35 0.25 0.45 0.95 0.90 0.70

0.15 0.25 0.15 0.00 0.05 0.10

0.50 0.50 0.40 0.05 0.05 0.20

0.80 0.80 0.45 0.75 10.95

0.10 0.10 0.15 0.15 2.80

0.10 0.10 0.40 0.10 3.25

64.41%

16.47%

19.12%

COMMENTS Not Sampled Rocks in Haul

Benthos mainly crabs Rocks in Haul Benthos mainly crabs Benthos mainly crabs + brittle stars Benthos mainly crabs + brittle stars Crab in benthos Crabs in benthos Shorter tow not sampled Benthos mainly crabs + brittle stars Benthos mainly crabs + brittle stars Crabs in benthos

46

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

Appendix 7 – Commercial Trial trip 3 – Wheelhouse log

Trip No: Market port: Sailing date(s)&Port: Landing date(s)&Port:

3 Plymouth 23/08/2007 30/08/2007

Newlyn Penzance

16:00 18:00 1m extensions

Haul no

Shoot date

Shoot time

Shoot depth

Tow duration

1

24/08/07

06:15

29fth

3

2

24/08/07

09:15

24fth

3

3

24/08/07

12:30

28fth

3

4

24/08/07

15:45

32fth

1

5

24/08/07

17:15

33fth

3

6

24/08/07

21:45

33fth

3

7

25/08/07

01:00

26fth

3

8

25/08/07

09:15

32fth

3

9

25/08/07

12:30

29fth

3

10

25/08/07

15:45

32fth

3

11

25/08/07

19:00

29fth

3

12

25/08/07

22:15

31fth

3

SR596

Shoot Lat Long

51.28.04N 04.57.20W 51.28.01N 04.55.50W 51.32.29N 05.11.70W 51.34.90N 05.23.80W 51.36.72N 05.26.60W 51.36.05N 05.27.70W 51.35.47N 05.23.90W

Haul Lat Long

Total fish (STONE)

7(not inc

51.28.01N 04.55.50W 51.32.29N 05.11.70W 51.36.90N 05.23.80W 51.36.72N 05.26.60W 51.36.05N 05.27.70W 51.35.47N 05.23.90W

51.36.87N 05.26.28W 51.38.80N 05.26.90W

51.33.92N 05.26.65W 51.33.88N 05.28.00W 51.33.37N 05.27.91W

47

4m extensions

Total Bulk Baskets PORT STAR

dogs)

5

5

5

4

4

8

5

5

7

2

2

6

0

4

10

5

5

5

5

2

9

5

5

9

5

5

8

5

5

13

5

5

11

5

5

Haul Comments 4m extensions put on starboard side Same catches both sides First and last grounds

Tier of pots - not sampled

Fish 2.5 mix, few sole and ray each side 0.5 sole. 2.5 mix 1 sol 2.5 mix 4.5 ray(wings) 1 sol, 3 mix, 2 ray

Rock not sampled Nice sole - port side sampled only Starboard side belly out Ticklers put on 4m extensions starboard side No difference either side Possible improvement in Headfish starboard side

1 sol, 1.5 ray, 2.5mix

Reasonable haul very similar hauls from both sides

4 sol, 7 mix, 1 ray

4 sol, 4 mix, 0.5 ray 1.5sol, 0.5 ray, 2.5 mix

2 sol, 1 ray, 5 mix 2 sol, 5 mix, 1 ray

2 sol, 5 mix, 0.5 ray

3 sol, 1 ray, 6 mix

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

13

26/08/07

01:30

31fth

3

14

26/08/07

04:45

35fth

2.25

15

26/08/07

07:30

31fth

3

16

26/08/07

10:45

30fth

1

17

26/08/07

12:15

30fth

2.5

18

26/08/07

15:15

32fth

3

19

26/08/07

18:45

43fth

3

20

26/08/07

22:00

42fth

3

21

27/08/07

01:15

45fth

0.75

22

27/08/07

02:15

45fth

3

23

27/08/07

05:30

47fth

3

24

27/08/07

08:45

50fth

3

25

27/08/07

12:00

44fth

2.25

26

27/08/07

14:30

41fth

3

27

27/08/07

18:00

50fth

3

28

27/08/07

21:15

47fth

2.75

29

28/08/07

00:45

44fth

3

30

28/08/07

04:00

46fth

3

31

28/08/07

07:30

49fth

3

32

28/08/07

10:45

45fth

2.25

33

28/08/07

13:45

42fth

2.75

SR596

51.33.50N 05.27.04W 51.35.02N 05.30.14W 51.35.65N 05.28.67W 51.35.00N 05.25.00W 51.35.13N 05.21.30W 51.35.46N 05.27.60W 51.33.40N 05.41.97W 51.33.49N 05.41.84W 51.33.19N 05.44.00W 51.33.20N 05.42.81W 51.33.20N 05.45.70W 51.33.37N 05.49.40W 51.32.16N 05.46.85W 51.33.42N 05.40.48W 51.33.65N 05.47.85W 51.33.74N 05.48.58W 51.33.45N 05.43.72W 51.33.56N 05.43.70W 51.34.26N 05.48.84W 51.33.93N 05.47.33W 51.34.17N 05.42.29W

48

12

4.5

5

7

4

4

8

3.5

3.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

3

3

9

slightly more bulk(visually) starboard side bolulder starboard side

4 sol, 1 ray, 6 mix 2 sol, 3 mix, 0.5 ray 2 sol, 0.5 ray, 4.5 mix

0.5

not sampled tier of pots round gear Torpedo in starboard side slight damage

1.5

4.5

boulder port side

1.5 sol, 5 mix, 1 ray

17

12

12

top haul!

6.5 sol, 1.5 ray, 8 mix

12

10

10

5 sol, 6 mix

2.5

1.5

1.5

12

8

8

12

10

10

good haul short haul dug in! warp to depth 3:1 reduction advisable cleanish lot of small cuckoo ray discards high again lot of sm cuckoos

9

7

7

9

6

6

11

5

5

12

8

8

8

8

8

9

7

7

13

8

8

14

9

9

10

7

7

9

7

7

Camera shots hauled up 12:45 all clear shot back 2 boulders 1 each side lot of sand nice bit of sole slight damage to starboard belly all clear 2 lg turbot both starboard side nice sole fishing for daylight muddy both sides two bags of mud + fish

0.5 sol, 0.5 mix

1 sol, 1.5 mix

1 sol, 1 mix 6 sol, 4 mix, 0.5 ray 5 sol, 6 mix 3 sol, 6 mix 3 sol, 4 mix, 1.5 ray 2.5 sol, 7 mix, 1 mon 4.5 sol, 6 mix inc 1 tur 4.5 sol, 2 mix 3.5 sol, 4 mix, 0.5 ray 5 sol, 7 mix 5.5 sol, 8 mix, 0.5 ray 2 sol, 6 mix, 0.5 ray 2 sol, 6 mix, 0.5 ray

© Seafish

A demonstration of “OUTRIGGER TRAWLING” in the SW of England on MFV Admiral Gordon

34

28/08/07

17:00

44fth

3

35

28/08/07

20:15

43fth

3.25

36

29/08/07

00:00

45fth

3

37

29/08/07

03:15

42fth

2.5

38

29/08/07

06:15

48fth

3

39

29/08/07

09:30

46fth

2.5

40

29/08/07

12:15

40fth

3

41

29/08/07

16:30

35fth

3

42

29/08/07

19:45

35fth

3

43

29/08/07

23:00

30fth

3

SR596

51.34.42N 05.42.65W 51.34.50N 05.44.20W 51.33.93N 05.47.36W 51.34.05N 05.41.98W 51.34.55N 05.44.72W 51.33.90N 05.44.79W 51.33.52N 05.44.43W 51.36.63N 05.27.56W 51.35.64N 05.27.91W 51.33.34N 05.27.66W

49

14

8

8

10

7

7

12

6

6

10

12

7

9

6

6

6.5

6

6

4

0

6

9

5

5

5

2

2

10

5

5

nice fishing for daylight hauled up mid tow after hitch cleanish tow very few dogs sand port side dug in and hauled up hauled 11:30 after digging shot back mud balls both sides rock port side slight damage

6 sol, 7 mix 5.5 sol, 4 mix 5 sol, 6 mix 4 sol, 5 mix 3 sol, 5 mix 3 sol, 4 mix, 1 ray 1 sol, 2 mix, 0.5 ray 3.5 sol, 0.5 ray, 4 mix

Gus stems the tide 1 knot NO GOOD!

2 sol, 2 mix 4 sol, 4 mix

© Seafish