RightFish will develop generic methodologies that will improve our ability to design and develop low impact towed fishing gears.
It will advance the state of the art in the design of commercial trawl gears by establishing criteria for small scale modelling that incorporate the contact forces associated with fishing gears being towed over the seabed.
It will apply these approaches in two case studies, which characterise European demersal trawl fisheries, and demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits that can be achieved. These gears will be more fuel-efficient, disturb fewer carbon-rich sediments and penetrate less into the seabed. Accordingly, they will ensure that marine resources are managed and harvested in a sustainable way that maintains ecosystem integrity and resilience and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
They will also have reduced fuel costs and are likely to lead to increased fishing opportunities, improved market access and higher prices. Hence, they will contribute to sustainable production in the Blue Bioeconomy. They will allow the development of transparent, certifiable and traceable standards and processes which can be used to establish consumer trust and increase marketing opportunities.
The consortium comprises industrial and academic experts in the design and development of commercial trawl gears, of the assessment of the technical and capture processes of fishing gears and of the environmental and socioeconomic performance of fisheries.
Coordinator:
Prof Barry O'Neill, DTU Aqua
Partners:
Dr Emilio Notti, National Research Council - Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies
Mr Einar Skaftason, Hampiðjan, Fishing gear development
Mrs lngunn Marie Holmen, SINTEF Ocean, Fisheries and New Biomarine Industries