Experiments were conducted in California to determine the effect of hook type (circle and J-type) on anatomical hook location and subsequent growth and mortality rates of white seabass. Juvenile white seabass were captured with 4/0 offset circle hooks, J-type hooks or a control net. There was a significant difference in hook location between the two types of hooks, with more fish being hooked in the lip with the circle hooks. The majority of mortality occured in fish with hook damage to the esophagus but equal numbers of these fish were caught on the two hook types.
Tests were conducted in the Gulf of Maine to determine the effectivenss of a new Rope Grid in reducing the bycatch of small finfish in the pink shrimp (Pandalus borealis) trawl fishery. The new Rope Grid was constructed by removing two-thrids of the netting surrounding the traditional Nordmore Grid and replacing it with four ropes. This new Rope Grid was tested against the traditional Nordmore Grid during sea trials.
An excluder grate (grid) was tested in the silver hake trawl fishery in Massachusetts Bay to determine it's effectiveness in reducing spiny dogfish bycatch. The effects of color (white or black), angle and direction of the 50 mm spaced grids were investigated through video observations and data collection. The number of spiny dogfish caught in trawls with the excluder grate were greatly reduced for all gear configurations, while the number of target species caught remained within typical commercial quantities.