Trawl Byctch Reduction

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 10: 2760, 2000.
2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
27
Modifications to reduce bycatch in prawn trawls: A review and

framework for development
Matt K. Broadhurst
Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoUFRPE, Departamento de Pesca, Laboratorio de Oceanografia
Pesqueira, Av. Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmos, Recife-PE, Brazil, CEP: 52.171-900 (E-mail:
fhvhazin@truenet.com.br)
Accepted 13 July 1999
Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Reduction of bycatch from prawn trawls
BRDs that separate species by behaviour
BRDs that separate species by size
Combinations of BRDs
Considerations for applying BRDs to prawn-trawl fisheries
A framework for developing BRDs
Quantification of bycatches and obtaining fishery-related information
Identification of priority species
Experiments that test BRDs
Survival of escaping bycatch
Promotion and acceptance of BRDs
Summary
Acknowledgements
References
page 27
28
37
48
49
55
56
56
Key words: bycatch reduction devices, fishing gear technology, prawn trawls, selectivity
Abstract
The incidental capture of non-target species from prawn trawling has recently attracted worldwide attention.
Primarily, concerns arise from the perception that prawn trawls catch and discard large numbers of juveniles of
species that, when larger, are targeted in other commercial and recreational fisheries. While several management
options are available, the majority of fisheries in the world have attempted to address this issue through physical
modifications to trawls, designed to improve selectivity. The types of modifications used reflect fishery-specific
characteristics; however, most can be broadly classified into two categories, including: (1) those that separate
species by differences in behaviour; and (2) those that mechanically exclude unwanted organisms according to their
size. In the present paper, I provide a chronological review of publications in the primary literature that describe
experiments examining modifications within these categories. This review shows that inherent variabilities among
different fisheries greatly influence the types of designs that need to be applied and although some designs have the
potential for application across different fisheries, significant modification and re-evaluation are often required. By
collating information from previous studies, I also propose a framework encompassing the various stages involved
in developing and applying successful modifications in prawn-trawl fisheries. The key stages identified include:
(1) quantification of bycatches and accumulation of fishery-related information; (2) examination and re-evaluation
of modifications; (3) assessment of damage inflicted on escaping individuals; and (4) promotion of recommended
designs.
28
Introduction
Trawling for prawns occurs throughout the majority
of the worlds oceans, providing a total catch of up
to 2.9 million tonnes per year (FAO, 1992), about
3.5% of the total production from the worlds marine
fisheries (82.5 million tonnes). Like the majority of
trawls, conventional prawn trawls typically are poorly
selective fishing gears and so retain large quantities
of non-target species (collectively termed bycatch
sensu Saila, 1983). In 1994, bycatch from prawn
trawls was estimated to be around 11.2 million tonnes
worldwide (Alverson et al., 1994).
The mortality of large quantities of bycatch from
prawn trawls has attracted worldwide attention in
recent years (reviews: Saila, 1983; Andrew and
Pepperell, 1992; Alverson et al., 1994; Kennelly,
1995). Of significant concern is the mortality of juveniles and subadults of commercially and recreationally
important species because this is thought to reduce the
recruitment, biomass and yield of stocks that form the
basis of other fisheries. Secondary to this issue are
concerns over the more complex ecological impacts
that large bycatches may have on the trophic structures
of communities (De Groot, 1984; Jones, 1992; Dayton
et al., 1995).
A global awareness of these problems has led to
various management strategies that attempt to alleviate some of the impacts of large bycatches (see
also Andrew and Pepperell, 1992). One such option
is to retain various subsets of bycatch for human
and/or animal consumption (Peterkin, 1982; Gulland
and Rothschild, 1984). In locations where there are
demands for alternative sources of protein and consumers are willing to purchase bycaught species, such
an option can greatly reduce wastage (Peterkin, 1982).
This approach, however, does not address any of
the underlying ecological impacts associated with the
mortality of large numbers of juveniles of commercially and recreationally important species nor the
effects on their stocks. Another management option
is to restrict trawling to locations and times known
to have relatively small amounts of bycatches (High
et al., 1969; Caddy, 1982). However, because many
prawn-trawl fisheries are characterized by large spatial and temporal variabilities in the quantity and
diversity of bycatches, this is likely to involve largescale and/or long-term closures and significant loss
of income to fishers. Such a strategy may be applicable on a more flexible basis, but there is a high cost
associated with obtaining the initial information and
subsequent monitoring (using observer-based programmes see also Kennelly et al., 1998). Alternatively, in fisheries where there are many key species and large spatial and temporal variabilities in
bycatches, it may be more appropriate to prohibit
trawling altogether.
While the above management options have been
used successfully to address the issue of bycatch
from prawn trawling in some fisheries, the most
applied option throughout the majority of the worlds
prawn-trawl fisheries in recent years involves the
development of modifications to conventional trawls,
to improve selectivity and so minimize bycatch of
unwanted individuals. Research into this area has substantially increased during the past 10 years and a
plethora of modifications have been tested and applied
across many fisheries.
The results from experiments assessing the utility of various modifications have been presented as
independent publications and/or summarized as part
of various conferences. However, there has not been
an overall review of the relevant literature in this
field that has led to the development of an applied
framework that specifically details the logic involved
in the application of appropriate modifications. Such
a review is necessary for at least two reasons: (1)
to provide researchers new to the field with a broad
overview of existing designs and some of the mechanisms involved in developing designs; and (2) to ensure
that researchers do not re-evaluate those designs
that have previously been demonstrated to be universally inefficient or unsuitable. In this review, I
collate references in the primary literature (including international conferences) that describe experiments which examine various modifications (Table 1)
and then, using the information obtained from these
papers, I outline a framework that describes the
stages involved in developing modifications that have
been successful in reducing bycatch from prawn-trawl
fisheries.
One problem I faced during the preparation of this
manuscript was that many of the findings from experimental trials to test new gears have been reported in
non-refereed and/or obscure literature. References to
these sorts of literature have only been included where
they have described definitive designs or significant
alterations to existing designs. Where authors have
reproduced the same or similar results and discussions
in subsequent reports, I have cited only the primary
source.
Mississippi,
USA
Belgium
Iceland
(1,2) Vertical separator
Norway
separator trawl
and secondary
BRDs
(1,3) V type vertical
separator panel
(with two cod ends)
(1) Horizontal
separator panel
(1) American-type
panels
(1) Separator panel
separating panels
for beam trawls
(1) Two types of
sorting trawl
(1) BCF shrimp-
separating panel
(1) Beam trawl with
Name of BRD
examined
France
The
Netherlands
Oregon,
USA
The
Netherlands
Location
of fishery
Total fish bycatch (wt):

3783% reduction
Some separation of small

fish into lower cod end
Melanogrammus aeglefinus
(no.) up to 75% reduction
Total fish bycatch (no.):

90% reduction to 66%
increase
Minimal reduction
Some reduction of flatfish

and under-sized prawns
Unwanted bycatch (wt):

up to 80% reduction
Good reduction of
flatfish
Effects on bycatches
Penaeus aztecus (wt):

963% reduction
Some separation of large

prawns into lower cod end
P. borealis (wt): up to
30% reduction
Pandalus borealis (wt): 91%

reduction to 54% increase
C. crangon (wt): improved

retention from previous
designs
Loss of commercial prawns

recorded but amount not
specified
Pandalus sp. (wt): up to

66% reduction
Crangon crangon (wt):

9100% increase
Effects on prawn catches
Preliminary study evaluating

the concept of vertical separation
of catch
More time required for repairs

Opening lower cod end would
result in loss of prawns
Results based on few tows

Performance of gear highly variable
Generally most trawls caught fewer

prawns, although one design
was recommended for further
testing
Some problems with clogging

Minimal improvements in fish
separation
Problems with clogging by seaweed

and loss of prawns
Difficulty in rigging the panels
One of the first published studies

examining the utility of trawl
modifications that exploit
differences in species behaviour
to separate catch
Increase in prawn catches attributed

to increased efficiency, but depended
on amount of seaweed and jellyfish
Comments
Seidel, 1975
Van den Broucke and

Van Middelem,
1973
Thorsteinsson, 1973
Rasmussen, 1973
Brabant, 1973
Besanon, 1973
High et al., 1969
Boddeke, 1965
References
Table 1. Chronology of papers examining BRDs (bycatch reduction devices) in prawn trawls. Where available, effects on bycatches and catches of prawns and the statistical
significance are provided: significant p < 0.05; significant p < 0.01; NS, not significant; 1 BRDs that mainly separate species by behaviour; 2 BRDs that mainly separate
species by size; 3 Combinations of BRDs
29
Florida,
USA
Norway
New England,
USA
Florida and
Georgia,
USA
(2) Morrison soft TED
panels and squaremesh cod ends
(2,3) HH sorting
extension flappers,
large mesh behind
footrope, small
panel extension
and DMR large
panel
(1,2,3) RES, square mesh,
LA TED, GA TED,
and TX TED
(2,3) NMFS TED,
(3 designs)
(3) NMFS TED
(1) RES
Norway
Mississippi,
USA
(3) BED
separator trawl
(1) V type vertical
Name of BRD
examined
Indonesia
Mississippi,
USA
Location
of fishery
Table 1. Continued
Total bycatch (wt): 24%

reduction ( )
G. morhua (no.):
7899% sorting effect
M. aeglefinus (no.):
63100% sorting effect

059% reduction
Turtles (no.): 100% reduction

2444% reduction

5153% reduction ( )
Micropogon undulatus (wt):
5662% reduction
Gadus morhua and M.

aeglefinus (no.):
71100% reduction

5864% ( ) reduction
Total bycatch (wt):

3881% reduction
Total catch (P. aztecus

and P. setiferus): 8%
reduction (NS)
P. borealis (wt): 218%

reduction

reduction
Penaeus setiferus (wt): 22% ( )

P. aztecus (wt): 5%
reduction to 3%
increase (NS)
P. borealis (wt):
18% increase to 53%
reduction
Total prawns (wt): up to

27% (NS) reduction
P. aztecus (wt): 662%

reduction
Problems with clogging

Difficult to handle
Describes 15 years work on

early BRDs
Many definitive designs
Some problems with fish being
meshed in some of the panels
Performance of BRDs shown to

be species specific
Most appropriate design was
large mesh behind footrope
and extension flapper
TEDs effective at reducing turtles

and other large species
Definitive study describing

one of the first uses of a rigid
inclined panel with secondary
BRDs
Similar design to FSD

Results depended on
sizes of individuals
Similar design to NMFS TED

Recommendation for further
development
Preliminary study
study and refinement
Comments
Kendall, 1990
Karlsen and
Larsen, 1989
Averill, 1989
Christian and
Harrington, 1987
Watson et al.,
1986
Valdemarsen,
1986
Naamin and
Sujastani, 1984
Watson and
McVea, 1977
References
30
Barents Sea
and Norway
South-eastern,
USA
Brazil
Eastern
Canada
Germany
Papua New
Guinea
Maine,
USA
Location
of fishery
Table 1. Continued
(2) Nordmre-grid
TEDs and fisheyes
(1,2,3) Hard and soft
with square mesh
(1,3) Short nets and RES
(2) Nordmre-grid
and rollers in beam

trawls
(1,2) Separator panels
(1) TED
panels (large mesh)

with funnels anterior
to cod end
(1,2) 7 types of speparator
Name of BRD
examined
Reduced all important

species at different
100% escape lengths
Total fish bycatch:

1160% reduction
Total bycatch (wt):

17% reduction for short
nets and 48% reduction
for RES
Total bycatch (wt):

up to 95% reduction
Individual species of
fish (no.): 42100%
reduction

38% reduction ( )
Pomadasys argyreus (no.):
76% reduction ( )
Polydactylus sealei (no.):
73% reduction ( )
Hippoglossoides
platessoides and G.
morhua: average 22%
reduction per 1 kg
of prawns
P. borealis (wt): < 5%

reduction
Penaeus spp.: unspecified
Total catch (Penaeus

brasiliensis and Penaeus
paulensis (wt): 5% increase
for short nets and 27%
reduction for RES
Total catch (P. borealis

and Pandalus montagui)
(wt): 5% reduction
to 10% increase
C. crangon (no.): 220%

reduction
Penaeus monodon (wt): 18%

reduction (NS)
Other prawns (Penaeus spp.)
(wt): 2% reduction (NS)
P. borealis (wt): no
reduction (NS)
Definitive study on Nordmre-grid

Subsequent mandatory use in
fishery
Study summarized approx.

exclusion rates of fish for
various TEDs and BRDs
Suggests that prawn loss would be
compensated for by increased
efficiency
Short nets considered the most

appropriate designs
Nordmre-grid effective at
removing most bycatch
Used commercially in some areas
Problems with prawn losses due

to weed clogging the trawl
Differences in TED performance

attributed to species-specific
variabilities in behaviour
Results unclear due to

possible confounding of
experimental design
Comments
Isaksen et al.,
1992
Harrington, 1992
Conolly, 1992
Brothers, 1992
Berghahn, 1992
Matsuoka and
Kan, 1991
Kenney et al.,
1990
References
31
Gulf of
Mexico,
USA
Newfoundland,
Canada
NSW,
Australia
Iceland
Gulf of Maine,
USA
Georgia,
USA
Location
of fishery
Table 1. Continued
(with and
without funnels) and
Super shooter with
funnels
(2) Georgia TED
and square-mesh
cod ends
(1,2) Nordmre-grids
ends
(1) Square-mesh cod
RES, large-mesh
panels, skylights
and escape holes
(1,2) Separating panels,
BRD, diamondmesh BRD with

hoops and modified
Parrish TED
(1,2,3) Square-mesh
Name of BRD
examined
Not examined

G. morhua (wt): 97%
reduction
H. platessoides (wt): 88%
reduction

reduction ( )
G. morhua, 0-group (no.):

6490% reduction
M. aeglefinus, 0-group (no.):
63% reduction
Merlanguis merlangus,
0-group (no.): 85% reduction
Fish bycatch (wt): up to

89% reduction
Modified Parrish TED

was only design that
significantly reduced
total biomass (wt)
Total catch (P. aztecus, P.

setiferus and Penaeus
duorarum) (wt): 414%
reduction ( ) by Georgia TEDs
and 1.4% reduction by
Super shooter (NS)
Total catch (P. borealis

and P. montagui) (wt):
341% reduction
Penaeus plebejus: 1%
reduction (NS)

reduction
P. borealis (wt): up to
58% reduction
Total catch (P. aztecus and

P. setiferus) (wt): significant
increases and decreases
(amounts not specified)
Large-scale observer-based
study to determine loss of
prawns by commercially
used BRDs
Problems with prawn retention

attributed to low grid angle
Suggestion for further research
into the use of square mesh as
a secondary BRD
Difficult to handle
Some loss of by-product
Experiment led to compulsory

use of square-mesh cod ends
in the fishery
Provides some discussion of

Nordmre-grid as an option
Results highly variable for
different designs
Suggestion for further work
Problems with standardizing

paired trawls
Conclusion that BRDs need to be
designed on a species-specific
basis
Comments
Renaud et al.,
1993
Hickey et al.,
1993
Andrew et al.,
1993
Thorsteinsson,
1992
Schick, 1992
Rulifson et al.,
1992
References
32
NSW,
Australia
QLD,
Australia
South-eastern
USA
Alabama,
USA
QLD,
Australia
NSW,
Australia
Location
of fishery
mesh panels in
cod ends
(1) 2 designs of square-
(3) AusTED
expanded and
extended mesh
funnels and Kiffe
BRD
(3) TEDs, fisheyes
Florida fisheye
(1) Fish shooter and
square-mesh
panels in cod ends
(1) 2 designs of
Name of BRD
examined
Table 1. Continued
A. holoepidotus: (no.):
3440% reduction ( )
Non-commercial bycatch (wt):

1159% reduction ( )
Invertebrate bycatch (wt):
54% reduction to 42%
increase ( )

up to 59% ( )
Total fish bycatch (wt): 28%

reduction by Florida
fisheye ( ) and 0%
by fish shooter (NS)

no difference in fishing
power (NS)
Portunus spp. (wt): reduction
in fishing power ( )
Non-commercial by catch (wt):
up to 32% reduction ( )
Agyrosomus hololepidotus
(no.) 4595% reduction ( )
M. macleayi (wt): 5%
reduction (NS)
Total catch (Metapenaeus

endeavouri, P. plebejus,
P. esculentus, M. bennettae
and Metapenaeus ensis) (wt):
9% reduction to 3% increase (NS)
Penaeus spp. (wt): 12%

(NS)
Penaeus spp.: 42% reduction

by fish shooter (NS) and
514% reduction by Florida
fisheye (NS)
Total catch (P. plebejus,

M. bennettae and
Penaeus esculentus) (wt):
Total catch (Metapenaeus

macleayi, P. plebejus and
Metapenaeus bennettae)
(wt): reductions of 16% (NS)
to 52% ( )
Examined the utility of

small square-mesh
panels located anterior
to cod end
BRD based on designs used

in southeastern USA
Variability in results
and performance of design
across different areas
Study conducted in close

collaboration with industry
Suggestion for further refinements
Study includes quantification

of bycatches
testing of Florida fisheye
Variability in performance
across areas
work
Easy to install and use

testing
Comments
Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1995
Robins-Troeger
et al., 1995
Harrington and
Vendetti, 1995
Wallace and
Robinson, 1994
Robins-Troeger,
1994
Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1994
References
33
NSW,
Australia
Gulf of Mexico,
USA
NSW,
Australia
NSW,
Australia
NSW,
Australia
NSW,
Australia
Location
of fishery
Table 1. Continued
square-mesh
panel
(1) Composite
expanded mesh
and fisheyes
(1) Extended funnels,
and blubberchutes
(2) Nordmre-grid
square-mesh
panels in cod ends
(1) Composite
panels in cod ends
(1) Square-mesh
square-mesh panels
and mesh separator
panels
(1,2) Nordmre-grid,
Name of BRD
examined
Total unwanted bycatch

(wt): 2341% reduction
Sillago spp. (no.): 70%
reduction ( )
Lutjanus campechanus (no.):

2640% reduction ( )
Scomberomorous cavalla (no.):
up to 79% reduction
Cynoscion nebulosus (no.): 55%
reduction
Total bycatch (wt):

A. australis (no.): 67%
reduction ( )
Total unwanted bycatch (wt):

40% reduction ( )
Sillago robusta (no.): 64%
reduction ( )
Platycephalus longispinis (no.):
59% reduction ( )

> 45% reduction ( )
Sillago flindersi (no.): 71%
reduction ( )
Total bycatch (wt): up to

70% reduction ( )
Acanthopagrus australis (no.):
70% reduction ( )
P. plebejus (wt): 514%

increase ( )
Total prawns (unspecified):

(wt) < 3% reduction
Total catch (M. macleayi

and P. plebejus) (wt): 011%
reduction (NS)
increase (NS)

reduction (NS)

reduction ( )
M. macleayi (wt): 13%
reduction to 10% increase (NS)
BRD tested across entire

geographic range of fishery
Maintained consistent performance
Resulted in voluntary adoption
All three designs effectively reduced

bycatch, although the expanded
mesh design did not reduce catches
of red snapper
Nordmre-grid most appropriate

design
Subsequent voluntary adoption
Quantified effects of cod end

circumference on bycatch
reduction
Resulted in voluntary adoption
Quantified effects of haulback

delay on bycatch reduction
Illustrated the utility of very small
panels of square mesh to reduce
unwanted bycatch
Nordmre-grid reduced most

bycatch and increased
catches of prawns
Comments
Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1997
Watson, 1996
Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1996b
Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1996a
Broadhurst et al.,
1996b
Broadhurst et al.,
1996a
References
34
Patagonia,
Argentina
SA,
Australia
Northern
Australia
Louisiana,
USA
NSW,
Australia
Location
of fishery
One-grid device
(Nordmre-grid)
(2) DISELA II and
square-mesh
cod ends
(1) Composite
Super Shooter,
AusTED, NAFTED
and secondary BRDs
(2,3) Nordmre-grid,
Ledet excluder,
Cameron shooter,
Lake Arthur
excluder and
Eymard accelerator
(1,2) Authement-
secondary BRDs
(3) Nordmre-grid and
Name of BRD
examined
Table 1. Continued
Merluccius hubbsi (wt): 77%

reduction ( ) by DISELA II
and 61% reduction (NS) by
One-grid device

Sillago bassensis (no.):

039% reduction ( )

1942% reduction ( )
Total bycatch (wt):

Pleoticus muelleri (wt): 47%

reduction ( ) by DISELA
II and 8% reduction (NS)
by One-grid device
Penaeus latisulcatus (no.):

12% reduction in under-sized
individuals ( )
Increase in catches of
commercially sized
individuals
Penaeus spp. (wt): approx.

50% reduction ( )
to 20% increase (NS)
P. aztecus (wt): 14%

reduction to 25%
increase ( )
M. macleayi (wt): up to 41%

increase compared with
commercially used BRD ( )
Both designs based on the

Nordmre-grid
Designs appraised using few tows
Recommendation for further work
Immediate unanimous and 100%

voluntary adoption by fleet
16 different BRDs and

combinations tested
Super Shooter was best overall
design
BRD performance was affected by
weather and fishing conditions
Variable performances of BRDs

indicated need for further
refinements and testing
Nordmre-grid with no secondary

BRD was the most effective
design
Comments
Pettovello, 1999
Broadhurst et al.,
1999c
Brewer et al.,
1998
Rogers et al.,
1997
Broadhurst et al.,
1997c
References
35
QLD,
Australia
Location
of fishery
(3) AusTED II
Name of BRD
examined
Table 1. Continued

1549% reduction ( )
Byproduct (wt): 7% increase
(NS) to between 15%
( ) and 43% reduction
(NS)
Penaeus plebejus (wt): 0%

to 16% reduction (NS)
P. esculentus and P.
semisulcatus (wt): 27%
increase (NS) to 45%
reduction ( )
Metapenaeus endeavouri and
M. ensis (wt): minimal effect
Performance of BRD similar to

original AusTED (see above)
Prawn retention varied greatly
among different areas
Comments
Robins and
McGilvray, 1999
References
36
37
Reduction of bycatch from prawn trawls
Throughout the published literature, modifications to
prawn trawls that reduce bycatch have been classified under a variety of names including: (1) fish
escape devices (FEDs) (Watson and McVea, 1977); (2)
trash/turtle eradication/elimination/exclusion devices
or trawl efficiency devices (TEDs) (Watson et al.,
1986; Kendall, 1990; Rulifson et al., 1992; Renaud
et al., 1993; Robins-Troeger et al., 1995; Robins
and McGilvray, 1999); (3) bycatch excluder devices
(BEDs) (Naamin and Sujastani, 1984; Sujastani,
1984); and more frequently (4) bycatch reducing/reduction devices (BRDs) (Rulifson et al., 1992;
Watson, 1996; Broadhurst et al., 1997b, 1997c;
Brewer et al., 1998; Pettovello, 1999). The acronym
BRDs is used throughout this paper as a generic
term to describe all modifications designed to reduce
bycatch in prawn trawls. Despite the wide variety
of these various modifications and regardless of the
acronym used, at their simplest level, most can be
classified under two broad categories according to the
basic theory and methods used to facilitate the escape
of bycatch.
BRDs that separate species by behaviour
The first category includes those designs intended
mainly to operate by exploiting behavioural differences between prawns and fish using strategically
placed funnels, horizontal and/or vertical panels and
escape windows (Watson et al., 1986; Matsuoka and
Kan, 1991; Rulifson et al., 1992; Wallace and Robinson, 1994; Watson, 1996; Brewer et al., 1998) or
panels of square meshes in cod ends (Averill, 1989;
Thorsteinsson, 1992; Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1994,
1995, 1996a; Brewer et al., 1998). These designs
operate on the principle that fish, unlike slowermoving benthic invertebrates, have certain characteristic responses to towed trawls.
Fish initially detect trawls by a combination of
visual and tactile stimuli generated by moving trawlwires and associated gear. They orientate away from
these stimuli and, depending on their swimming ability and physiological responses, either avoid the gear
altogether or are herded back toward the trawl opening
(Wardle, 1983). As a result of compensatory movements in response to shifts in their visual field (termed
the optomotor response), fish that enter the trawl
attempt to maintain station in the current (termed
rheotaxis) generated as they are displaced past various
components, which are perceived as stationary objects

(see Wardle, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989; Watson, 1989).
After some period, depending on species-specific
swimming abilities (Wardle, 1975), fish invariably
tire, often rise in the trawl (High and Lusz, 1966) and
fall back towards the taper of the cod end (Wardle,
1983). Chapman (1964) suggested that an area of
escape for fish may occur at this point because as they
are herded close together, the balance of the school
is upset, which can initiate an escape response outwards. More specifically, Watson (1989) observed that
as fish are herded together in the posterior section of
the trawl, they can become disorientated, resulting in
increased swimming speeds and random attempts at
escape towards the sides of the net. The location of
strategically placed panels of netting can be used to
direct some of these fish out of the trawl.
In contrast to fish, benthic invertebrates such as
prawns tend to display a limited response to stimuli
from the trawl (Lochhead, 1961; Newland and Chapman, 1989). Scuba observations by Watson (1976)
showed that a strong external stimulus, such as the
leading edge of a trawl, caused penaeid prawns to contract their abdomens ventrally, effectively propelling
them backwards (i.e. vertically). This initial escape
response was repeated three to five times, after which
the prawns attempted to orientate to the sea bed.
Because prawns are not capable of maintaining such
activity for long, the flow of water generated by the
moving trawl quickly forced the prawns against the
meshes and they eventually tumbled down the net and
into the cod end.
The earliest studies into BRDs occurred in
European prawn-trawl fisheries in the mid 1960s
(Boddeke, 1965, 1973; Besanon, 1973; Brabant, 1973; Rasmussen, 1973; Van den Broucke
and Van Middelem, 1973) (Table 1) with many of
the designs examined involving various horizontalor vertical-mesh panels designed to partition catch
mainly according to behavioural responses. In the first
of these published studies, Boddeke (1965) described
the assessment of a trawl consisting of two horizontally divided sections which were designed to separate
prawns (Crangon crangon, Crangonidae) from flatfish. The theory behind this work was that prawns
initially would propel themselves into the top section
of the trawl and be retained in an upper cod end, while
flatfish would orientate lower in the trawl and escape
through the bottom section. Although Boddeke (1992)
reported that some variations of this design were still
widely used in the Netherlands, Germany and Den-
38
Figure 1. The V type vertical separator trawl originally designed and developed for use in the south-eastern USA (Watson and McVea, 1977).
mark, problems of clogged meshes in the panels and

fish becoming meshed meant that many of the other
earlier BRDs similar in concept and design were less
successful (High et al., 1969; Besanon, 1973).
In an attempt to develop BRDs for commercial
fishers operating along the Washington and Oregon
coasts and using the concepts discussed above, High
et al. (1969) attached various types of covers and bags
to trawls to isolate areas that could be modified to
facilitate behavioural separation of various species of
fish from prawns (Pandalus sp., Pandalidae). A modified trawl (termed the BCF shrimp sorting trawl) was
constructed that had double-walled wings with largemeshed inner panels designed to allow some benthic
species of fish to swim towards an escape exit located
on the bottom. The trawl opening was also modified
from commercial designs to allow species that displayed an upward behavioural response to escape over
the headrope. Prawns that passed through the inner
wall of large mesh were then retained by the outer
wall and directed to the cod end. Compared with commercial vessels towing conventional gear, the BCF
shrimp trawl was reported to be effective in reducing up to 80% of total bycatch, although according to
Ellis (1973) large concomitant reductions in catches
of prawns (by up to 66% see Table 1), precluded its
commercial application. Comparable results were also
reported from subtle variations of this design tested
in Icelandic prawn (Pandalus borealis, Pandalidae)
fisheries (Thorsteinsson, 1973).
The most extensive development and evaluation

of BRDs that function by exploiting behavioural differences between prawns and fish occurred in the
southeastern United States of America (USA) during
the past 20 years (Seidel, 1975; Watson and McVea,
1977; Harrington, 1992; Rulifson et al., 1992; Wallace and Robinson, 1994; Harrington and Vendetti,
1995; Watson, 1996; Rogers et al., 1997) (Table 1).
Concerns in the mid 1970s over the discards from
prawn trawlers working in areas thought to be nursery grounds for commercial species of finfish led to
the design of a selective trawl termed the V type
vertical separator (Seidel, 1975; Watson and McVea,
1977) (Figure 1). This design consisted of panels of
different-sized square and rectangular-shaped mesh
sewn in the trawl, designed to exploit differences in
the swimming ability of fish and prawns (Penaeus
spp., Penaeidae) by orientating fish towards the top of
the trawl and out through an escape exit. Additional
escape exits (termed skylights) were located above
this device to facilitate the escape of those fish that
did not pass out through the main BRD (Watson and
McVea, 1977) (Figure 1). Although the V type vertical
separator trawl was found to be effective in removing between 37% and 80% of unwanted fish, spatial
inconsistencies in its performance combined with concomitant reductions in catches of prawns (by up to
60% owing to fish being gilled in the meshes of the
panels) severely limited its acceptance by commercial
fishers.
39
Figure 2. The original fish separator device developed and tested in the Gulf of Mexico (Watson et al., 1986; Watson and Taylor, 1990).
An alternative and novel BRD that was designed

for use in the Gulf of Mexico, USA and considered for application in Dutch fisheries (De Boer,
1973) involved using electricity to exploit differences
between prawns and fish. Studies on how prawns and
fish respond to electrical stimuli (Kilma, 1968, 1972;
Seidel, 1969; Seidel and Kilma, 1974; Watson, 1976)
led to the development of a trawl comprising electric
arrays in the footrope and lower belly that produced
pulses of current (3 V at a rate of 45 pulses per
second) (Seidel, 1969; Seidel and Watson, 1978).
These stimuli resulted in: (1) prawns contracting their
abductor muscles, propelling them vertically into the
net; and (2) some fish exhibiting a fright reaction
horizontally away from the trawl. A panel of mesh
across the opening of the trawl was designed to prevent
other fish from entering the net. Whilst the concept
of electric trawls was considered technically feasible,
high costs and practical limitations meant that the
design was not fully developed for commercial testing
or application (Watson and Taylor, 1990).
During the early 1980s, Watson et al. (1986) and

Watson and Taylor (1990) developed and assessed
several BRDs characterized by guiding funnels and
small-mesh panels, located immediately anterior to the
cod end, that directed water and the slower-moving
prawns into the cod end and allowed fish to swim
forward and out through strategically located escape
exits. One modification, termed the finfish separator
device (FSD) (Watson and Taylor, 1990) consisted
of two funnels sewn inside the cod end, terminating
anterior to a deflector grid (Figure 2). This latter
device was designed to generate visual and tactile
stimuli for fish, directing them to large, radiallylocated openings (separated by lateral supports). The
FSD was effective in reducing the numbers of individual species of fish, with no significant reduction in
catches of prawns. However, its performance varied
greatly among different locations and according to the
size of individual species encountered and their swimming abilities. In addition, its size, combined with a
potential for large objects to become meshed in the
40
Figure 3. The radial escape section tested in Norwegian prawn-trawl fisheries. The buoy attached posterior to the BRD was designed to maintain
lateral load on the guiding funnels (Valdemarsen, 1986).
funnels, meant that few fishers were willing to adopt it

as part of their normal commercial operations.
Another device that used similar funnels and lateral
escape openings was the radial escape section (RES)
(Figure 3). Based on the FSD design, this device was
modified and tested in several prawn-trawl fisheries
(Valdemarsen, 1986; Averill, 1989; Conolly, 1992;
Schick, 1992). Variations of the RES/FSD designs
were successful in reducing the bycatches of individual species by up to 100% in Norway (Valdemarsen,
1986), 77% in New England (Averill, 1989) and 48%
in Brazil (Conolly, 1992) with prawn losses of 53%,
14% and 27%, respectively (depending on the size of
individuals Table 1). Although these results were
comparable to those from other BRDs developed for
these fisheries, Averill (1989) suggested that in addition to a loss of commercial prawns, the main limiting
factor of the RES was the complexity involved in its
rigging.
In 1990, concerns over the potentially negative
impacts of prawn trawling on four key species of
finfish, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus, Lutjanidae), weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus, Sciaenidae);
king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla, Scombridae);
and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorous maculatus,
Scombridae) in the south-eastern USA led to a large
co-operative programme between several research
agencies aimed at evaluating gear options for reducing the bycatch of these species across the various
prawn-trawl fisheries (Hoar et al., 1992; Rulifson et
al., 1992; Watson, 1996). A total of 96 BRDs were
considered and evaluated, although of these, only three
were found to be appropriate for development and
testing under commercial conditions (Watson, 1996).
The first design, termed the fisheye (Figure 4a), consisted of a steel, pyramid-shaped frame inserted in the
top anterior section of the cod end and was designed
to allow fish to orientate into an area of reduced
water flow (inside the fisheye) and escape through an
opening at the base of the BRD (Harrington, 1992;
Harrington and Vendetti, 1995; Watson, 1996; Watson
and Taylor, 1996; Rogers et al., 1997). The second and
41
Figure 4. Diagrammatic representation of the (a) fisheye and (b) extended mesh funnel developed for use in the south-eastern USA (Watson,
1996).
third designs (termed the expanded mesh design and

extended funnel design, respectively) were similar to
each other and comprised guiding funnels surrounded
by larger square-shaped mesh and located anterior to
the cod end (Figure 4b) (Harrington and Vendetti,
1995; Watson, 1996; Watson and Taylor, 1996). These
latter two BRDs were based on the original FSD and
designed according to the principles discussed above:
that is, to direct prawns into the cod end while allowing fish to swim forward and escape through the larger,
radially located square mesh.
Variations of these designs were examined across
several different locations throughout the southeastern USA (Rulifson et al., 1992; Wallace and
Robinson, 1994; Harrington and Vendetti, 1995).
In one study, Rulifson et al. (1992) tested three
BRDs similar in concept to the extended/expanded
mesh funnel designs off the south Atlantic coast.
Whilst these BRDs were effective in facilitating the
escape of some individuals of particular species, only

one design significantly reduced total biomass and
the authors concluded that the designs needed to be
refined on a species-specific basis. In a another experiment examining the effectiveness of a version of the
fisheye and a modification termed the fish shooter (a
simple horizontal opening in the top of the cod end),
Wallace and Robinson (1994) showed that both BRDs
reduced total bycatch with no statistically significant
loss of prawns (although mean catches were reduced).
As with the previous example, however, continued
design and testing was recommended prior to their
large-scale application.
The BRDs developed for use in the south-eastern
USA have also found application in other fisheries
throughout the world, although in nearly all cases they
have been modified to suit the particular characteristics of the fishery under examination and used in
combination with other BRDs (see discussion below)
42
(Naamin and Sujastani, 1984; Valdemarsen, 1986;
Matsuoka and Kan, 1991; Robins-Troeger et al., 1995;
Broadhurst et al., 1997c; Brewer et al., 1998; Robins
and McGilvray, 1999). One modification, however,
designed by Matsuoka and Kan (1991) to operate
as an independent BRD, was similar in principle to
those discussed above, incorporating a funnel to direct
prawns to the cod end and lateral windows to facilitate the escape of small fish. This device (called a
trawl efficiency device see Table 1) was tested
off the coast of Papua New Guinea and substantially
reduced the bycatch of unwanted javelinfish (Pomadasys argyreus, Pomadasyidae) and eight-fingered
threadfin (Polydactylus sealei, Polynemidae), with
no significant reduction in catches of prawns (Penaeus spp., Penaeidae). The authors concluded that
differences in behavioural responses could be effectively used to separate fish, although the individual
behaviour and swimming ability of particular species
contributed to variability in overall performance of the
design.
Depending on the species to be excluded, nearly
all of the BRDs discussed above have involved significant and often complicated alterations to the geometry
of the trawl to include various guiding funnels combined with additional openings, panels of mesh and/or
rigid components. In the North Atlantic, however,
BRDs that involve only relatively simple alterations
to the configuration and shape of mesh in the cod
end have been used successfully for many years to
exclude unwanted individuals from trawls targeting
fish and crustaceans, while successfully retaining the
target species (Robertson, 1983; Isaksen and Valdemarsen, 1986; Robertson and Stewart, 1988; Carr,
1989; Arkley, 1990; Briggs, 1992; Walsh et al., 1992;
Fonteyne and MRabet, 1992). As an example, in the
Irish sea, Briggs (1992) observed that panels of square
mesh fitted to the cod ends of trawls designed to catch
Nephrops were effective in allowing several species
of fusiform fish to escape, particularly small whiting
(Merlangius merlangus, Gadidae) with no significant
reductions in catches of the target species. This study
showed that, while there were minor interspecific variabilities in the behaviour of fish in the trawl, most of
those encountered tended to rise up in the cod end
extension and made active attempts at escape through
the square meshes.
The effectiveness of strategically located squaremesh panels to improve selectively of fish trawls
led to the transfer and evaluation of similar designs
across a number of prawn-trawl fisheries through-
out the world (Averill, 1989; Larsen, 1989; Karlsen

and Larsen, 1989; Valdemarsen, 1986; Thorsteinsson,
1992; Hickey et al., 1993; Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1994; Broadhurst et al., 1999c). This was partly
owing to their successful application in fish trawls,
but also because they offered a relatively simple
alternative in terms of ease of construction, implementation and regulation (see Karlsen and Larsen,
1989; Larsen, 1989; Broadhurst et al., 1999c). An
example of the rapid adoption of these sorts of BRDs
occurred in the Icelandic prawn fishery after Thorsteinsson (1992) found that cod ends made entirely
from square mesh effectively reduced the catches of
small prawns (1020% of catch) and 0-group gadoids.
These results led to the obligatory [use of squaremesh cod ends] in the shrimp fishery in safjardardjp
and Hnafli shortly after the experiments (Thorsteinsson, 1992) and allowed fishers to continue targeting prawns in areas that might otherwise have been
closed.
Whilst the utility of square-mesh panels as independent BRDs in prawn trawls was first examined
and established in Europe (e.g. Karlsen and Larsen,
1989) and the north-eastern USA (e.g. Averill, 1989;
Hickey et al., 1993), their most published application
in the primary literature in recent years has been in
the estuarine and oceanic penaeid prawn-trawl fisheries of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In a series
of experiments conducted under commercial conditions, Broadhurst and Kennelly (1994, 1995, 1996a,
1997) and Broadhurst et al. (1996b) tested a variety
of square-mesh designs in different locations in the
cod end and the effects of operational factors on their
performance (Broadhurst et al., 1999b). These papers
showed that very small panels of strategically located
square mesh in the tops of the anterior sections of cod
ends significantly reduced large quantities of bycatch
that included non-target individuals and juveniles of
commercially and recreationally important species
(e.g. Sillaginidae and Platycephalidae) with no significant reduction in catches of king prawns (Penaeus
plebejus, Penaeidae) or other commercial species that
fishers were legally permitted to retain (termed by
product). In addition to reducing unwanted bycatch, a
new design, incorporating composite panels of square
mesh (Figure 5a), actually improved the overall efficiency of the trawl for the targeted prawns, significantly increasing their catches across the entire
geographic range of the NSW oceanic prawn-trawl
fishery (by up to 14%) (Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1997).
43
Figure 5. The (a) composite square-mesh panel used commercially in the New South Wales oceanic prawn-trawl fishery (Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1996a) and (b) composite square-mesh cod end used commercially in the Gulf St. Vincent prawn-trawl fishery, South Australia
(Broadhurst et al., 1999c).
The results from these papers led to a large-scale

acceptance of designs throughout NSWs prawn-trawl
fisheries and the testing of refined designs by commercial fishers in other Australian prawn-trawl fisheries
(e.g. Brewer et al., 1998; Broadhurst et al., 1999c).
For example, in Gulf St Vincent, South Australia
(SA), Broadhurst et al. (1999c) modified an industrydeveloped square-mesh cod end to include larger, strategically located square mesh to increase the escape of
unwanted fish (Figure 5b). The modified design significantly reduced the incidental capture of juveniles of
commercially important fish (by up to 96%) without
reducing the weights of western king prawns (Penaeus
latisulcatus, Penaeidae) and resulted in 100% adoption throughout the fishery within two weeks of the
conclusion of the experiments.
BRDs that separate species by size

The second category of modifications to prawn trawls
that reduce bycatches involves those that comprise
relatively simple oblique panels or grids, usually
located within or immediately anterior to the cod end
(Kendall, 1990; Robins-Troeger, 1994; Andrew et al.,
1993; Isaksen et al., 1992; Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1996b). While in some cases these types of BRDs may
evoke behavioural responses from fish that contribute to overall escape mechanisms (e.g. Karlsen and
Larsen, 1989; Broadhurst et al., 1996a), most BRDs
in this category are designed mainly to partition the
catch mechanically, according to size, and to exclude
those individuals that are larger than the openings in
the separating panel.
44
Figure 6. The Morrison soft TED and its location in a trawl. (Kendall, 1990).
The most high-profile use of these sorts of BRDs

occurred in the prawn-trawl fisheries of the southeastern USA where they were made mandatory in
1987 (Renaud et al., 1993) to reduce the capture and
mortality of large numbers of sea turtles (see also Henwood and Stuntz, 1987; Watson, 1989). Numerous
designs have been tested and applied in these fisheries,
including: (1) those with panels made from netting
with meshes larger than the targeted prawns (Christian and Harrington, 1987; Kendall, 1990; Harrington,
1992); and (2) those that incorporate solid grids (Watson et al., 1986; Harrington, 1992; Rulifson et al.,
1992; Renaud et al., 1993; Rogers et al., 1997).
One widely tested design that used netting panels
to divide large organisms from prawns was the Morrison soft TED (Figure 6) (Kendall, 1990; Andrew et
al., 1993; Robins-Troeger, 1994) (Table 1). As with
most of the other early BRDs designed to separate
individuals by size, this modification consisted of an
inclined panel of large mesh (150203 mm) laced posterior to the footrope of the trawl and then along the
sides of the trawl body, terminating at an escape exit at
the top belly panel, anterior to the cod end. Organisms
larger than the mesh openings were guided upwards
to the escape exit, while prawns and small individuals
passed through the larger mesh and into the cod end.
Kendall (1990) first examined this design off Florida,
USA and concluded that, while it was effective in
reducing catches of sea turtles and other large organisms, it was difficult to install and occasionally, owing
to clogging of the meshes, provided poor retention

rates of prawns (Penaeus spp., Penaeidae). Similar
results and conclusions were derived after subsequent
comparisons of this design against conventional prawn
trawls in NSW (Andrew et al., 1993) and Queensland
(QLD), Australia (Robins-Troeger, 1994).
Compared with devices that have incorporated netting panels, those containing rigid grids have been
more successful in maintaining catches of prawns
while reducing larger individuals of bycatch. One of
the most successful designs developed in the Gulf of
Mexico was a declined, bottom-opening grid termed
the super shooter (Figure 7), which was demonstrated to be effective in almost eliminating catches of
turtles with minimal reductions of prawns (Renaud et
al., 1993). While many other similar BRDs have been
effective in reducing catches of turtles (by up to 97%)
and in some cases the bycatch of larger unwanted fish
(Table 1), generally they have not been endorsed by
fishing industries, primarily because of the associated
costs, negative effects on gear performance and handling, and some loss of the targeted prawns (Tucker et
al., 1997).
In contrast, since the mid 1980s in Norway,
inclined sorting panels (originally developed in the
early 1970s Rasmussen, 1973) have been accepted
and used commercially by prawn trawlers targeting
Pandalus borealis, (Pandalidae) to reduce catches of
juveniles of commercially important species such as
haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Gadidae) and
45
Figure 7. The super shooter (Renaud et al., 1993).
Figure 8. A HH panel and its location in a Norwegian prawn trawl (Karlsen and Larsen, 1989).
46
Figure 9. The Nordmre-grid used in (a) Norwegian prawn-trawl fisheries (Isaksen et al., 1992) and (b) the estuarine prawn-trawl fisheries of
NSW, Australia (Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1996b).
cod (Gadus morhua, Gadidae) (Karlsen and Larsen,

1989; Isaksen et al., 1992). Commercial adoption of
these BRDs was in response to regulations imposed
by managers that prohibited the capture of more than
3 fish per 10 kg of prawns (Karlsen and Larsen, 1989).
Some of the earliest modifications tested (collectively
termed HH panels) consisted of elliptical-shaped mesh
sorting panels (mesh size: up to 70 mm) inserted
anterior to the cod end at an angle of about 45 and
terminating at an escape hole in the trawl (Figure 8).
Numerous experiments were done to examine the utility of these various designs using covers over the
escape holes to retain those fish that were sorted by
the panels. Depending on the relative sizes of fish
encountered, the HH panels provided sorting effects
(defined as the number of fish in the cover divided by
the total number in the cover and cod end) of up to
99% for cod and 100% for haddock. Losses of prawns
were reported at between 2% and 18% (Karlsen and
Larsen, 1989) and were predominantly attributed to

fish being meshed in the panels.
More recent experiments by Isaksen et al. (1992)
in the Barents Sea showed that a BRD comprising a
rigid sorting panel, termed the Nordmre-grid (Figure 9a), was effective in reducing large quantities
of unwanted bycatch, while maintaining catches of
prawns (Pandalus borealis, Pandalidae). This design
consisted of a guiding funnel located anterior to the
cod end that directed the entire catch to the base of a
sorting grid made of obliquely orientated bars (with
19 mm spaces). Prawns and other organisms smaller than the spaces between the bars passed through
and into the cod end while larger individuals were
directed upwards and out through a large opening
in the top of the trawl. The effectiveness of this
design in reducing catches of nearly all juvenile cod,
haddock, redfish (Sebastes sp., Scorpaenidae), long
rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides, Gadidae),
47
Figure 10. The NMFS TED developed by Watson et al. (1986) for use in the south-eastern USA.
polar cod (Boreogadus saida, Gadidae) and Greenland

halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Gadidae) larger than the bar spaces while maintaining catches of
prawns (< 5% reduction) led to its compulsory use
in Norwegian prawn fisheries in 1990 (Isaksen et al.,
1992). While there were some initial concerns from
industry over the potential for additional costs, handling and clogging of the grid, regulations imposed by
managers provided few options for fishers and most
have accepted this BRD as part of their normal commercial operations (Roger Larsen, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Troms, pers.
comm.).
The utility of the Nordmre-grid in excluding large
quantities of bycatch while maintaining catches of
prawns in Norwegian prawn-trawl fisheries resulted in
its testing off northeastern America (Brothers, 1992;
Hickey et al., 1993), Russia, Africa (Bjrnar Isaksen,
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway, pers.
com.), Australia (Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1996b;
Broadhurst et al., 1996a, 1997c; Brewer et al., 1998)
and Argentina (Pettovello, 1999). In most of these
fisheries, variations of the original design, including
the use of different types of guiding funnels/panels
and grid profiles (e.g. Figure 9b) have provided
consistent results in terms of significantly reducing
bycatches of individuals of a particular size over a
range of commercial conditions. Such characteristics
have led to both voluntary and enforced application
in some of these fisheries. For example, after extensive testing in eastern Canadian prawn-trawl fisheries
(Brothers, 1992; Hickey et al., 1993), many fishers
began voluntarily using Nordmre-grids. In 1992, the
design was subsequently mandated for use in areas
where bycatches exceeded 300 kg day1 . In another
example, in NSW, Australia, some fishers voluntarily
adopted the Nordmre-grid after it was demonstrated
that it improved the overall efficiency of the trawl to
the point where significantly greater catches of prawns
were achieved (Broadhurst et al., 1997c).
Combinations of BRDs
Because the above BRDs consist of panels that mainly
partition the catch according to size, they are generally
not as effective in excluding species of a size similar
to or smaller than that of the targeted prawns. By combining designs of BRDs that incorporate the principles
of both size and behavioural separation, however, it is
possible to allow a range of different species and sizes
to escape from trawls (Watson et al., 1986; Karlsen
and Larsen, 1989; Kenney et al., 1990). In one of
the earliest examples of such an application, as part
of an attempt to increase the escape of small individuals from Norwegian prawn trawls equipped with HH
panels, Karlsen and Larsen (1989) described the use
of panels of square mesh (35 mm diamond mesh hung
on the bar) located as secondary BRDs. These designs
48
reduced the catches of small prawns and contributed
to overall bycatch reduction by releasing a large percentage (up to 97% sorting effect) of small individuals
of fusiform species such as snake blenny (Lumpenus
lampretaeformie, Lumpenidae) and polar cod.
In another early example, Watson et al. (1986)
developed a BRD termed the NMFS trawl efficiency
device (Figure 10) which consisted of a solid inclined
grid anterior to strategically located side-escape windows all located within a steel frame. This device
proved effective in reducing the numbers of finfish by
between 10% and 53% with minimal loss of prawns.
Although many fishers objected to its weight (40 kg)
and size (91 114 76 cm), some voluntarily
used this BRD in certain areas because of its ability
to reduce catches of jellyfish. Naamin and Sujastani
(1984) tested a variation of this device in Indonesian
prawn-trawl fisheries and showed results similar to
those of Watson et al. (1986) for bycatch reduction
across different conditions and several sizes of vessels
and trawls (see also Sujastani, 1984; Chong et al.,
1987; Table 1).
Other more recent studies by Watson (1996) and
several other unpublished reports by researchers in the
south-eastern USA showed that small individuals of
red snapper, croaker (Micropogon undulatus, Sciaenidae), Atlantic bumper (Chloroscombrus chrysurus,
Scombridae) and whiting (Menticirrhus sp., Sciaenidae) were excluded from trawls using various designs
of BRDs such as the fisheye (Figure 5a) and extended mesh funnels (Figure 5b) located as secondary
BRDs posterior to large inclined grids like the super
shooter (Figure 7) which excluded turtles (and other
large organisms). Similar and more complicated versions of these designs (often labelled under different
names) have been tested in Australia (Mounsey et al.,
1995; Robins-Troeger et al., 1995; Broadhurst et al.,
1997c; Brewer et al., 1998; McGilvray et al., 1999;
Robins and McGilvray, 1999) with varying degrees of
success (Table 1).
In one such example, Broadhurst et al. (1997c)
assessed the fisheye and extended mesh funnel as
secondary BRDs posterior to a Nordmre-grid (Figure 9b) in the Hunter River, Australia (Table 1). Whilst
all combinations of BRDs caught less bycatch and
more school prawns (Metapenaeus macleayi, Penaeidae) than did conventional trawls, most fish escaped
at the Nordmre-grid with little evidence of movement through the secondary BRDs. These results were
attributed to possible differences in the behaviours of
species being excluded and their sizes relative to the
bar spaces in the Nordmre-grid. In another study

in Australias northern prawn-trawl fishery (QLD and
the Northern Territory), Brewer et al. (1998) tested
several BRDs previously developed for use in other
fisheries (including the designs discussed above),
located posterior to various inclined grids (designed
to exclude turtles). The results of this study showed
quite large variability in the performance of the various combinations tested (mainly attributed to differences in weather and fishing procedures); however,
some BRDs, and particularly a combination of the
Nordmre-grid and fisheye, were effective in consistently excluding up to 25% of small-fish bycatch with
minimal loss of prawns (Penaeus spp., Penaeidae)
(Table 1).
Considerations for applying BRDs to prawn-trawl

fisheries
A close examination of the literature describing
experiments to test BRDs indicates that the type of
modification required to reduce bycatch (while maintaining prawn catches) depends primarily on the individual characteristics of the fishery under examination. Some of the most important factors include the
following.
1. Regulations governing the fishery and its interaction with other fisheries (Karlsen and Larsen,
1989; Isaksen et al., 1992; Broadhurst et al.,
1996b).
2. The size of trawls and their methods of handling
(Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1994).
3. The location of trawl grounds and fishing conditions (Boddeke, 1973; Watson et al., 1986; Larsen
and Karlsen, 1989; Berghahn, 1992; Brewer et al.,
1998; Robins and McGilvray, 1999).
4. The species to be excluded and their sizes (Averill, 1989; Matsuoka and Kan, 1991; Rulifson et
al., 1992; Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1996a, 1997;
Broadhurst et al., 1996b; Pettovello, 1999; Robins
and McGilvray, 1999).
5. The extent to which the behaviour of the target
and bycatch species are understood (Valdemarsen,
1986; Watson, 1989; Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1996a; Broadhurst et al., 1996b).
Inherent variabilities in the relative importance
and/or influence of many of these factors among
different fisheries particularly those encompassing
fishery-related characteristics (e.g. factors (1), (2) and
(3) above) will directly determine the general sorts
49
of BRDs that might be considered appropriate. For
example, considering factor (1) from above, it is
apparent that in areas where fishers are legally permitted to retain subsets of bycatch for commercial
sale, the use of BRDs that exclude most individuals
(e.g. the Nordmre-grid) are unlikely to be endorsed
by fishers. In such cases it could therefore be appropriate to examine BRDs that operate by exploiting
behavioural differences between fish and prawns (e.g.
square-mesh panels: Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1996a,
1997; Broadhurst et al., 1996b). Similarly, in fisheries where vessels and trawls are small (i.e. factor (2)
above), large, solid, inclined grids may be difficult to
handle and may have adverse effects on the setting
and retrieval of the gear. In contrast, these sorts of
devices may be required in areas where there are large
quantities of fish and seaweed (e.g. (3) above). This
is because previous studies have shown that although
flexible separator panels may be easier to deploy and
maintain (Kendall, 1990), problems associated with
fish and weed becoming meshed (Watson and Taylor,
1986; Karlsen and Larsen, 1989) have led to the adoption of rigid devices in many fisheries (Ogren et al.,
1977; Watson and Taylor, 1986; Watson et al., 1986;
Clark et al., 1991; Isaksen et al., 1992; Rulifson et al.,
1992).
Despite large variability among the physical characteristics of different prawn-trawl fisheries and the
extent to which these determine the type of BRDs
that may be applicable, there is at least one common
factor influencing the performance of many BRDs
and particularly those that incorporate the principles
of behavioural separation. This involves the relative
swimming speeds of the fish to be excluded and the
location of the BRD in the trawl and/or its design with
respect to relative water flow. For example, the towing
speeds of prawn trawls vary considerably, but most
attain a speed of at least 2 to 2.5 knots (1.021.27 m
s1 ) (Valdemarsen, 1986; Workman and Taylor, 1989;
Matsuoka and Kan, 1991; Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1994, 1995, 1997; Rogers et al., 1997; Pettovello,
1999; Robins and McGilvray, 1999). A large proportion of the fish that occur in bycatches are less than
20 cm in length (Young and Romero, 1979; Gutherz
and Pellegrin, 1988; Jones and Derbyshire, 1988; Liggins et al., 1996; Kennelly et al., 1998) and for many
of these fish, such velocities are greater than their sustained swimming speed. Bainbridge (1958) suggested
that although fish up to 1 m in length should attain a
maximum velocity of up to 10 times their own body
length, this would be limited to a period of only one
second. An average fish 5 cm long (a common size

in many by-catches), may therefore be expected to
have a burst speed of only 0.5 m s1 (less than half
the speed of the trawl), while a 15 cm fish may reach
1.5 m s1 . The normal maximum swimming performance (or maximum cruising speed sensu Wardle, 1983)
of fish, however, is much less and depends on several environmental (e.g. temperature, water currents)
and physiological parameters (muscle fibre composition and muscle contraction time). Even so, a review
that summarized the maximum swimming performance of over 40 species of fish showed that, regardless
of environmental and biological factors, most individuals 515 cm long could not maintain their normal
cruising speeds for longer than 10 minutes (Beamish,
1978). Given such limitations, it is apparent that to
provide an opportunity for fish to escape, BRDs that
operate by exploiting behavioural differences between
fish and prawns must either: (1) be positioned in a
area of the trawl where there is a substantial reduction in relative water flow (i.e. immediately anterior to
the codend Broadhurst et al., 1999b); or (2) contain
components (e.g. panels of mesh) that reduce relative
water flow to a velocity where small fish are able to
maintain position close to the escape exits.
In summary, when seeking to develop the most
suitable BRDs for particular fisheries, the above
review suggests that it is necessary to have a
sound understanding of the commercial techniques
employed as well as information on species-specific
variabilities in bycatches. It is also important to appreciate that, because of the large variabilities inherent in
the magnitudes and compositions of bycatches across
fisheries, it is unlikely that one design will be entirely
suitable over a range of fisheries and locations (Averill,
1989; Rulifson et al., 1992; Robins and McGilvray, 1999). In addition, although particular designs
of BRDs may have application across different fisheries (e.g. the Nordmre-grid and square-mesh panels),
significant modification and re-evaluation are often
required to incorporate the individual characteristics
of the fishery under examination.
A framework for developing BRDs

In many fisheries, the problems associated with
bycatch have been addressed by an incremental process involving several, clearly defined stages (Kennelly, 1997). In particular, Kennelly and Broadhurst
(1996) and Kennelly (1997) proposed a broad pro-
50
Figure 11. Summary of a proposed framework for developing BRDs for prawn-trawl fisheries.
51
tocol that included: (1) identifying and quantifying the
main problems; (2) developing alternative solutions;
(3) testing these alternatives; and (4) publicizing the
solutions to fishers and the general public. By collating information obtained from papers in this review
that have described experiments to test BRDs, I have
attempted to expand and refine sections of the above
protocol by outlining the logic involved in designing,
developing and assessing suitable BRDs for particular
fisheries (Figure 11). This framework was used as a
basis for the development of BRDs for prawn-trawl
fisheries in NSW, Australia; where appropriate, I have
included reference to this work to illustrate the various
steps involved.
Quantification of bycatches and obtaining
fishery-related information
The first step in the process of developing BRDs for
prawn-trawl fisheries is to obtain information on the
composition and quantity of bycatches. Some of the
simplest and least expensive methods to obtain this
information for large fisheries have been to conduct
interviews with operators and/or provide logbooks
which they are then required to complete (Jermyn
and Robb, 1981; Hudon, 1990). Alternatively, the
composition of landed catches (if available) can be
sampled to obtain some estimate of the diversity of
bycatch (George et al., 1981). Both of these methods
can provide information to be used as a first step in
identifying the type of BRD that might be considered.
Other, more detailed studies to quantify bycatch
have incorporated the use of research or chartered
commercial vessels working alongside commercial
operators (Moore et al., 1970; Puga et al., 1982;
Gutherz and Pellegrin, 1988; Jones and Derbyshire,
1988; Gray et al., 1990; Watson et al., 1990), and
scientific observers recording data on-board commercial vessels during normal fishing operations (Jean,
1963; Berry and Benton, 1969; Powles, 1969; Young
and Romero, 1979; Watts and Pellegrin, 1982; Robin,
1991; Liggins and Kennelly, 1996; Liggins et al.,
1996; Kennelly et al., 1998; Pettovello, 1999). The latter technique is generally recognized as being the most
reliable method for obtaining comprehensive information on bycatches (Saila, 1983; Howell and Langan,
1987; Kennelly et al., 1998) and has the advantage
of facilitating ongoing contact between scientists and
commercial fishers. This can promote liaison and
rapport between researchers and industry, but more
importantly it provides scientists with applied exper-
ience on the various types of gears and methods used

across a range of conditions.
As part of this first descriptive stage, it is important to review the literature on the various different
types of BRDs available and some of the experiments to test designs, because variations of BRDs
tested in other fisheries may be used as a starting
point. In addition to the information provided in this
paper, Watson and Taylor (1990) provided a review
of research conducted into selective prawn trawls for
penaeid fisheries in the USA (from 1973 to 1990)
while Prado (1993) presented a brief overview of
many selective prawn trawls, including reference to
reports in the secondary literature (see also Alverson
et al., 1994). As well as reviews and papers describing the results of manipulative experiments to test
BRDs, other more specific information (mostly published in the secondary literature) is available detailing
methods for the construction and installation of BRDs
and factors influencing their performances. Some of
the designs described include: the Morrison soft TED
(Christian et al., 1989); NMFS TEDs (Watson, 1982),
expanded mesh/extended funnel designs, RES and
fisheyes (Watson and Taylor, 1996; Eayrs et al., 1997);
Nordmre-grids (Larsen et al., 1991; Broadhurst et al.,
1997b; Eayrs et al., 1997; Brothers and Hickey, 1998);
and square-mesh panels (Robertson, 1993; Broadhurst
et al., 1997b; Eayrs et al., 1997).
Identification of priority species
Once some estimate of bycatches has been made, it
is necessary to determine the species of main concern
and priorities for reducing incidental fishing mortality.
In fisheries where there are adequate data available
on the population structures and dynamics of particular species, it may be possible to isolate high-risk
species (Rulifson et al., 1992; Kuikka et al., 1996).
The most high-profile example of this involves the
classification of turtles as endangered species and
the subsequent mandatory use of mechanical separating BRDs (that reduce their bycatch by 97%) for
all vessels greater than 25 ft (7.6 m) operating in
offshore waters in the south-eastern USA (Renaud
et al., 1993). In the majority of the worlds prawn
trawl fisheries, however, concern over the mortality of
bycatch species is often based on the perceived negative impacts of prawn trawling on juveniles targeted
in other fisheries and a desire to reduce what is usually
regarded as waste (Saila, 1983; Andrew and Pepperell,
1992; Perra, 1992). This may result in the bycatch
52
of particular charismatic species being identified as
a concern, depending on the interaction with other
fisheries and the level of public awareness (e.g. Hall,
1996).
Regardless of the methods by which particular
species are labelled as concerns, general information
on their morphology, size and behaviour should be
collected because these largely influence the type of
BRD that needs to be developed and assessed (Watson,
1989). Whilst there are large variabilities in individual
species-specific mechanisms of escape through BRDs,
some generalizations can still be made about the suitability of particular types of BRDs. For example, in
the case of fisheries where bycatch is clearly dominated by large individuals (e.g. turtles and other
macrofauna), an obvious first step would be an examination of inclined separating grids. More specifically,
given many of the problems associated with soft versions of these designs (owing to fish and weed being
entangled), it could be appropriate to test the utility of
devices such as Nordmre-grids or some of the other
rigid designs developed in the south-eastern USA (see
Figures 7, 10).
In prawn-trawl fisheries where bycatches are characterized by many fish that are small or of a size
similar to the targeted prawns (i.e. in many of the
worlds prawn trawl fisheries), BRDs that operate by
exploiting behavioural differences between fish and
prawns should be examined. Previous studies have
shown that the escape of fish through these sorts of
BRDs is largely determined by: (1) their speciesspecific responses to various tactile and visual stimuli
(Wardle, 1983; Watson, 1989; Glass and Wardle,
1995; Glass et al., 1995); and (2) their density, abundance and schooling behaviour in the trawl (Watson,
1989; Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1996a; Broadhurst
et al., 1996b, 1999c). Any available information on
the physiology, behaviour and morphology of bycatch
species would therefore be useful during the initial
examination of BRDs. For example, species that are
relatively fusiform and tend to occur in large schools
(e.g. Sciaenidae and Sillagidae) may be successfully
excluded using simple panels of square mesh (Figure 5) or other BRDs (e.g. fisheyes Figure 4a) that
incorporate small openings in the top or sides of the
trawl. Alternatively, for fisheries with many species
characterized by larger dorsal profiles (e.g. Sparidae and Lutjanidae) or those that have been demonstrated not to display any upward escape responses,
it may be appropriate to examine designs such as the
expanded/extended mesh funnels (Figure 4b) or other
variations of the RES/FSD (Figures 2, 3) (Watson,

1996).
When considering designs of BRDs, it is necessary
to consult with representatives of industry to discuss
options and what would be considered acceptable for
their particular operations. For example, fishers may
recognize that particular species need to be excluded
from the trawl, but they may be opposed to the development of complex BRDs that contain rigid components (e.g. solid inclined panels). It may be possible
to develop awareness of the sorts of solutions available to fishers by firstly examining simple unobtrusive
BRDs made from netting (Averill, 1989; Karlsen and
Larsen, 1989; Broadhurst et al., 1996a) and illustrating their benefits (and any disadvantages). Then, if
these sorts of designs are unsuitable, examine more
complex, solid BRDs (Watson et al., 1986; Isaksen et
al., 1992; Broadhurst et al., 1996a). An example of
this approach is provided by Broadhurst et al. (1996a)
during the development of BRDs for small vessels
operating on the Clarence River, Australia. As a first
step to introduce the concept of BRDs, large escape
holes were cut into the tops of cod ends and tested
against conventional trawls. These holes were ineffective in reducing bycatch, but because they also had
no significant effect on catches of prawns, they illustrated that large openings in cod ends (associated with
most BRDs) would not necessarily result in loss of
income. In consultation with industry, a variety of
increasingly more detailed BRDs with inclined mesh
panels were incrementally evaluated, before a rigid
separating device (the Nordmre-grid Figure 5b)
was introduced, tested and voluntarily adopted. It is
unlikely that fishers would have fully supported the
concept of complex solid BRDs had the Nordmregrid been introduced during the first experiments. A
problem with this sort of approach occurs when legislation prohibits a certain type of BRD. For example,
after several years research testing various devices
in the Gulf of Mexico and south-eastern USA, the
use of soft separator panels is now illegal and fishers are required to use solid designs (John Watson,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula, MS,
pers. com.).
Experiments that test BRDs
Once potential designs of BRDs have been discussed, designed and constructed, all manipulative
experiments to test gears should be conducted on
board chartered commercial vessels. Kennelly and
53
Broadhurst (1996) suggested that this strategy has at
least three advantages over using research vessels: (1)
it involves a skipper and crew experienced in the conventional methods used and the trawl grounds in the
particular fishery under examination; (2) BRDs are
tested in the normal commercial gears used in the fishery; and (3) it ensures the involvement of the entire
commercial fleet working alongside the chartered vessels, using similar gear and vessels. An additional
advantage is that it encourages further liaison and
rapport between scientists and industry and allows
individual fishers to discuss their ideas and experience with scientists during actual experiments and so
contribute to the process of refining BRDs.
Depending on the configuration and types of commercial gears used in a fishery, the actual method
for assessing the performance of BRDs can employ
a variety of experimental designs. In fisheries where
vessels tow only a single trawl, one option is to
alternately tow control and modified trawls on a particular fishing ground (Averill, 1989; Valdemarsen,
1986; Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1994). Providing the assumptions underlying analysis of variance
(ANOVA) are met (Underwood, 1981), data collected can be analysed using an appropriate factorial
ANOVA, incorporating spatial (e.g. locations and/or
sites), temporal (e.g. seasons and/or days), and physical factors (e.g. types of trawls). While such an experimental design can effectively provide information on
the utility of particular BRDs, the disadvantage is that
any variability in the distributions and abundances of
species between subsequent tows on a particular fishing ground might obscure real differences between the
BRD and its control. A large number of tows may
therefore be required to provide sufficient statistical
power. This can result in a significant increase in the
cost of the experiment.
Another method that can be applied to a vessel
towing single gear is to use some form of cover net
over the BRD (Karlsen and Larsen, 1989; Isaksen et
al., 1992). In addition to eliminating the problems of
between-haul variability described above, the advantage of this method is that the catch in the cover net
can be used to provide a direct measure of the amount
and size of fish escaping from the BRD. This method
has mainly been used in studies to generate selectivity
curves or ogives (Pope et al., 1975; Wileman et al.,
1996) summarizing the probability of particular sizes
of fish being retained by the modified trawl (e.g. Isaksen et al., 1992). The selection curves can then be used
to estimate subsequent catches in the modified trawl,
so long as information is available on the size range

and abundance of fish likely to be encountered. A disadvantage with this method is that it may be difficult
to determine if the cover net affects the normal geometry of the cod end and/or the behaviour and escape
of fish. This method, therefore, may provide less-thanaccurate information on the effectiveness of a BRD
under normal commercial conditions.
The third and the most commonly used technique
to assess the performance of BRDs involves towing both types of trawls at the same time, either by
two adjacent vessels towing single gear (High et al.,
1969; Thorsteinsson, 1973, 1992), one vessel towing
a net with two vertically separated cod ends (termed a
trouser trawl) (e.g. Broadhurst and Kennelly, 1995)
or one vessel towing some configuration of twin gear
(Watson et al., 1986; Christian and Harrington, 1987;
Rulifson et al., 1992; Renaud et al., 1993; Andrew
et al., 1993; Robins-Troeger, 1994; Broadhurst and
Kennelly 1996a, 1996b, 1997; Brewer et al., 1998;
Pettovello, 1999). This methodology, and in particular one vessel towing twin gear, enables a trawl
containing a BRD to be directly compared against a
conventional trawl. Because both nets are towed at the
same time independent of each other, the problems
of between-haul variability and alterations to the normal configuration of the trawl are removed. Further,
while variabilities in fishing condition between tows
may affect total catches and the distribution of the size
of differences between catches of trawls compared,
the pairing of the trawls tends to control (to a large
extent) such variability. Data collected from these
sorts of experiments can be analysed using paired
t-tests (Watson et al., 1986; Renaud et al., 1993; Wallace and Robinson, 1994; Broadhurst and Kennelly,
1996a; Pettovello, 1999) or, if the assumptions of
homogeneity of variances and normality are violated,
nonparametric tests such as a Wilcoxon signed-rank
test (e.g. Kenney et al., 1990). To provide comparative information between a number of different BRD
designs, data on the differences between each BRD
and its control may be analysed using ANOVA (Christian and Harrington, 1987; Broadhurst et al., 1996a,
1996b; Rogers et al., 1997).
It is important to appreciate that in any study
that assesses the performance of BRDs (i.e. quantify
changes in catches and bycatches) in particular fisheries and that provides subsequent recommendations
about their use, it is imperative that the designs be rigorously tested under normal commercial conditions.
In addition, depending on the availability of research
54
funds and logistics, in the majority of prawn-trawl
fisheries, substantial modifications to designs and progressive re-assessments are often required (Figure 11)
(High et al., 1969; Karlsen and Larsen, 1989; Watson
and Taylor, 1990; Isaksen et al., 1992; Broadhurst and
Kennelly, 1996a; Broadhurst et al., 1996b; Brewer et
al., 1998; Robins and McGilvray, 1999). This is particularly the case with designs of BRDs that exclude fish
via behavioural responses (used either as secondary
BRDs or on their own) because studies have shown
that to promote the escape of some species it is often
necessary to identify stimuli that influence their behaviour (High et al., 1969; Watson, 1989; Watson and
Taylor, 1990; Workman and Foster, 1994; Glass and
Wardle, 1995; Glass et al., 1995; Watson, 1996).
For example, in the Gulf of Mexico, Workman and
Foster (1994) used underwater video to observe that
red snapper escaped only when relative water velocity
at the BRD was effectively reduced to between 0.2
and 0.5 m s1 . This information led to the design and
development of a BRD (e.g. the extended mesh funnel)
that incorporated panels of netting near the escape exit,
specifically designed to restrict water flow (Watson,
1996).
In another example, Broadhurst and Kennelly
(1996a) and Broadhurst et al. (1996b) found that
operational procedures, corresponding changes in the
geometry of the cod end and differences in the circumference of cod ends and water flow significantly influenced the behaviour of some species and their ability
to escape through square-mesh panels. In particular,
a delay in haulback of 15 s was effective in allowing
large numbers of red spot whiting (Sillago flindersi,
Sillaginidae) to escape but had no effect on the behaviour of other species in the cod end (see also Conolly,
1992). Similarly, an increase in cod end circumference and an associated anterior displacement of water
resulted in greater escape of some species through
square-mesh panels but had no effect on species such
as stout whiting (Sillago robusta, Sillaginidae). This
information was used to develop a new square-mesh
design that incorporated composite panels of square
mesh (Figure 2a) designed to facilitate the escape of
individuals continuously throughout towing not just
during haulback.
As part of the quantification of species-specific
mechanisms of escape, it may also be appropriate to
assess some of the hydrodynamics of BRDs to isolate effects of different configurations on flow. Such
information can then be used to refine designs to maximize the escape of particular species. In the past,
this sort of information has been obtained in situ

by scuba divers inserting dye tubes into various sections of the BRDs during full-scale testing at sea
(Workman and Taylor, 1989). More recently, manipulative experiments have been conducted in flume tanks
to test particular hypotheses about the flow-related
effects (Riedel and DeAlteris, 1995; Broadhurst et
al., 1999b). Any video footage obtained during such
experiments can be used as an invaluable tool for the
subsequent promotion and acceptance of BRDs among
industry (see below).
Survival of escaping bycatch
Although the development of functional BRDs may
directly alleviate some of the perceived problems of
large bycatches, without estimates of the numbers of
fish that survive the process of escape, it is difficult to
quantify any long-term benefits that such devices may
have on subsequent stocks of commercial and recreational fisheries for bycaught species. Accurate assessments of the extent of damage incurred by fish passing
through BRDs are difficult to obtain and there are
few studies that have specifically addressed this issue
for prawn trawls (but see Broadhurst et al., 1997a,
1999a; Farmer et al., 1998), although several experiments have been done in fish-trawl fisheries (Main and
Sangster, 1988, 1990; DeAlteris and Reifsteck, 1992;
Soldal et al., 1993; Turunen et al., 1994; Suuronen
et al., 1995, 1996a, 1996b, 1996c; Sangster et al.,
1996). The results from these experiments suggest that
a number of factors contribute to the overall stress
of escaping fish, increasing the probability of posttrawl mortalities (review: Chopin and Arimoto, 1995).
These factors are unlikely to be limited to the effects of
BRDs, and may include many other influences of the
trawl such as herding and physical contact (Suuronen
et al., 1996a), compression in the cod end with other
bycatch and the duration of time between capture and
escape (Main and Sangster, 1988). For example, previous studies have shown that fish may damage fins and
gills during movement through the trawl (Main and
Sangster, 1988), suffer internal damage and/or lose
scales during escape through panels of netting (Briggs,
1992; Suuronen et al., 1996a; Broadhurst et al., 1997a,
1999a; Farmer et al., 1998). In the short term, the
effects of such stress may result in muscular fatigue
and an associated increase in lactic acid concentrations
and possibly death (Beamish, 1966) or alternatively
disorientation after escape and an increased chance
of predation (Chopin and Arimoto, 1995). Longer-
55
term effects may include a loss of osmoregulatory
control, lowered immune response and an increased
susceptibility to pathogens (Pankhurst and Sharples,
1992).
The extent to which different species of fish are
affected by stress during capture and subsequent
escape depends upon several factors, including their
size, morphology and the duration of time spent in
the trawl (Beamish, 1966; Soldal et al., 1993; Turunen et al., 1994; Farmer et al., 1998). While there
is some interspecific variability in the mortalities of
fish attributed to stress incurred during escape, in
most studies these rates are relatively low in comparison to the numbers of fish surviving (Main and
Sangster, 1990; Soldal et al., 1993; Turunen et al.,
1994; Broadhurst et al., 1997a, 1999a) (but see Suuronen et al., 1996a). For example, in simulated trawl
experiments, Soldal et al. (1993) found that juvenile cod and haddock showed low mortality (10%)
after passing through diamond-mesh cod ends. Similarly, in two separate experiments, Broadhurst et al.
(1997a, 1999a) showed there was minimal scale loss
(< 4%) and low mortality (< 3%) associated with
sand whiting (Sillago ciliata, Sillaginidae) and yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis, Sparidae) after
passing through square-mesh panels and the guiding
panel of a Nordmre-grid, respectively.
The results from these papers suggest that rates of
post-trawl mortality for many species may be relatively low (but see Suuronen et al., 1996a). Nevertheless, because of species-specific variabilities, differences in trawl gears and methods of operation, it
is important when examining the utility of BRDs for
a particular fishery to provide at least some estimate
of the mortality associated with fish escaping. In the
case where there are unacceptable mortalities, it may
be appropriate to redesign BRDs to eliminate any
deleterious characteristics or examine other designs
(Figure 11).
Promotion and acceptance of BRDs
The last and perhaps one of the most important aspects
in the overall development of BRDs for prawn-trawl
fisheries shown in Figure 11 is the promotion of
industry acceptance and adoption of the recommended
designs. While fishers may, in the long-term, be forced
to use BRDs as part of management regulations, if
they do not favour the designs, they may be reluctant to
construct and operate them correctly, resulting in poor
performance. Some characteristics of BRDs that have
been shown to discourage their acceptance by fishers

include: (1) undesirable effects on gear performance
and handling (Oravetz and Grant, 1986); (2) complex designs and high costs (Watson 1989; Mounsey
et al., 1995; Robins and McGilvray, 1999); and (3)
failure to maintain prawn catches at the same levels as
conventional trawls (Christian and Harrington, 1987;
Rulifson et al., 1992; Robins-Troeger et al., 1995;
Pettovello, 1999). Although maintaining catch rates of
target species is a major contributing factor towards
industry acceptance of BRDs, it may also be possible
to increase acceptance by promoting some of the ancillary benefits of BRDs. These might include a potential
for increased duration of tows, improved quality of
catches (due to less damage from bycatch in the cod
end), reduced sorting times, savings in labour and
fuel, and reduced conflicts with other user groups (e.g.
recreational and commercial fishers targeting stocks of
bycatch species).
Kennelly and Broadhurst (1996) suggested that the
process of promoting BRDs can be greatly facilitated
by short video documentaries, poster presentations
and distribution of research summaries at regular port
meetings. It is also important to make all results available to the mainstream media and ensure that industry
is seen as the driving force behind the use of BRDs.
Such exposure can alleviate many of the perceived
negative impacts of bycatch from prawn trawling as
well as promote the concept of BRDs across other
fisheries.
Summary
The development of functional BRDs for prawn-trawl
fisheries depends on many factors, including the physical characteristics of the fishery (i.e. its location,
method of operation, size of nets, handling of gear,
etc.) as well as the behaviour and size of the bycatch
species of concern. Results from previous studies have
demonstrated the utility of some existing designs in
reducing unwanted bycatch for particular fisheries, but
prior to the transfer of these designs to other fisheries, significant modification and re-evaluation were
almost always required. In addition, because of the
large variabilities inherent in the magnitudes and compositions of bycatches across fisheries as well as the
types of gears used, it is unlikely that one design will
be suitable over a range of fisheries and locations.
By collating the information and experience gained
from previous studies that describe the development
56
and testing of BRDs, it is possible to outline an
applied framework that specifically describes the steps
involved in developing BRDs for prawn trawl fisheries
(Figure 11). The key stages of this framework can be
summarized as:
1. appropriate quantification of by-catches and accumulation of fishery-related information;
2. examination and re-evaluation of BRDs designed
to exclude the priority species;
3. assessment of the survival of escaping individuals;
and
4. promotion of the subsequent recommended
design(s).
Through an adequate comprehension of the steps
involved in developing BRDs, researchers in fisheries where BRDs have not yet been examined may
modify designs used in other fisheries or may develop
new designs. In addition, because fisheries are rarely
static, owing to advances in technology and changes
in emphasis on species of concern, this information
can also benefit continued research into the refinement
of existing BRDs to incorporate any changes as they
occur.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are extended to the Conselho National de
Ensino e Pesquisa (CNPq) in Brazil for their support
and to Steve Kennelly and Paul McShane for critically
reviewing the manuscript and providing invaluable
comments and advice. I am very grateful for the assistance provided by Roger Larsen, Joel Prado, John
Watson, Chris Glass, Julie Robins, Gerry ODoherty,
David Barker, Gerald Brothers, Carolyn Bland and
Kathy Bowen.
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Trawl Byctch Reduction

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Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 10: 2760, 2000.

2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

Modifications to reduce bycatch in prawn trawls: A review and

(1,2) Vertical separator

(1,3) V type vertical

(1) Separator panel

(1) Two types of

(1) BCF shrimp-

(1) Beam trawl with

Total fish bycatch (wt):

Some separation of small

Total fish bycatch (no.):

Some reduction of flatfish

Unwanted bycatch (wt):

Penaeus aztecus (wt):

Some separation of large

Pandalus borealis (wt): 91%

C. crangon (wt): improved

Loss of commercial prawns

Pandalus sp. (wt): up to

Crangon crangon (wt):

Effects on prawn catches

Preliminary study evaluating

More time required for repairs

Results based on few tows

Generally most trawls caught fewer

Some problems with clogging

Problems with clogging by seaweed

One of the first published studies

Increase in prawn catches attributed

Van den Broucke and

High et al., 1969

(2) Morrison soft TED

panels and squaremesh cod ends

(1,2,3) RES, square mesh,

(2,3) NMFS TED,

(3) NMFS TED

(1) V type vertical

Total bycatch (wt): 24%

Total fish bycatch (wt):

Turtles (no.): 100% reduction

Total fish bycatch (wt):

Gadus morhua and M.

Total fish bycatch (wt):

Total bycatch (wt):

Total catch (P. aztecus

P. borealis (wt): 218%

P. borealis (wt): 043%

Penaeus setiferus (wt): 22% ( )

Total prawns (wt): up to

P. aztecus (wt): 662%

Effects on prawn catches

Problems with clogging

Describes 15 years work on

Performance of BRDs shown to

TEDs effective at reducing turtles

Definitive study describing

Similar design to FSD

Similar design to NMFS TED

TEDs and fisheyes

(1,2,3) Hard and soft

with square mesh

(1,3) Short nets and RES