GB-Lowestoft: Provision of Seafish-Cefas Managed Sea Trials of a Low Lift Demersal Trawl Off SW England.

A number of projects looking at trawl selectivity have taken place over the last 3 years under the Fisheries Science Partnership and ASSIST Project involving the SW industry and Cefas scientists. The main focus has been to identify modifications to the design and construction of demersal otter trawls intended to avoid or release haddock with minimal losses of other species.

Having reviewed the results of these projects, Seafish is funding further work jointly run by Seafish and Cefas with SW fishermen to develop a Low Lift Trawl with a Hopper Rig and to conduct sea trials with it.

The project will involve designing a low lift trawl that could be worked with a hopper footrope, possibly with a cut back headline, to allow skippers to work in the same areas currently fished with their standard trawls, and to target the same mix of species whilst avoiding possible choke species, such as haddock. The project will determine technical and economic viability.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.