Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Ecosystem-sensitive approaches to fishing or reconciling fisheries with conservation through improvements in fishing technology is important to the growth of a conservationally-minded Canada.  Bycatch reduction is a very practical aim when proposing modifications to any fishery.  Herein we propose to investigate suitable modifications to present day prawn trap (Pandalus platyceros) designs that will decrease rockfish (Sebastes sp.) bycatch without a concomitant reduction in prawn catchability. In British Columbia spot prawn fishers are trapping their prey throughout the inland waters of Vancouver Island.  Some of their present day fishing locations occurs in proposed or newly erected rock fish (e.g. china, quillback, vermillion and copper) conservation areas (RCAs).  At present some of their traps are attracting and catching juvenile rock fish (e.g. china, quillback, vermillion and copper).  The focus of this project is to alleviate the bycatch problem through quantitative and observational behavioural research.  This will be completed both in the laboratory and the field with the goal of creating a new more ecologically sensitive prawn trap.  After testing the efficacy of these designs in the laboratory we propose to test these modified prawn traps in the field.