Size selection by diamond- and square-mesh codends in multi-species Mediterranean demersal trawl fisheries

Mediterranean demersal trawl fisheries traditionally operate using small diamond-shape meshes in the codend, which tend to retain almost all animals. We investigated the effect of mesh configuration on the size selectivity of nine species (the scaldfish Arnoglossus laterna, the broad-tail shortfin squid Illex coindettii, the European hake Merluccius merluccius, the red mullet Mullus barbatus, the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus, the common pandora Pagellus erythrinus, the deepwater rose shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris, the Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus and the poor-cod Trisopterus minutus capelanus) commonly captured in the Mediterranean demersal trawls. Two codends having meshes with the same opening (ca. 38 mm) but different mesh configuration (DM38: diamond-mesh and SM38: square-mesh configuration) were fished daily and alternately on the same trawl. They demonstrated a substantial improvement in selectivity with square-mesh. Selectivity was measured using the covered codend technique, the cover being supported by circular hoops. The results were analysed taking into account the between-haul variation in selectivity. Two other important external variables were identified: the trawling depth and the codend catch, which for some species influenced between-haul variation, but there was no evidence of a coherent effect on selectivity parameters.