A Scientific Study to Improve Trawl Gear Selectivity.

This project includes a desktop study, marine surveys and analysis as to improve the gear selectivity of the 40mm square mesh size currently in use by the Maltese otter board trawling fleet so as to reduce discards of Merluccius merluccius (European hake) and Parapenaeus longirostris (deep-water rose shrimp). Two methods to improve the gear selectivity for each of these two species will be tested.