Pulsvisserij en aanlandplicht (NAPRO) (BO-43-023.02-013, BO-20-010-078)

Communication

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) in 2014 has established a pilot project for additional licenses for pulse fishing under the discard ban. Pulse fishing is being perceived as a more selective fishing technique with less fish discards so it would be easier to implement the discard ban in this fishery. The pilot project includes a detailed research agenda that is partly picked up within this project.

 

The research agenda has been prepared by scientists from IMARES and LEI and adjusted internationally. The purpose of the research agenda is to gain insight in the effects of pulse fishing. Within this project a part of this research will be conducted. Furthermore, this project focusses on the communication of the research outcomes with the outside world. In 2015, economic research was done on the pulse technique (flatfish) and communication on the pulse technique was conducted in various working groups (NSAC, ICES WG ELEKTRA) and at several meetings (International Meeting Pulse, Pulse Meeting France). In 2016, research was done on the electric field strength that occurs when using pulse gear. In addition, communication of pulse research outcomes was carried out in 2016 within different meetings (Ministry of Economic Affairs, NGO’s, WG Communication, etc.). Communication on relevant pulse research outcomes will also be of great importance in 2017. This is essential to keep relevant stakeholders and other interested parties well informed on recent developments in research on pulse fishery.

 

Logbook analysis

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) in 2014 has established a pilot project for additional licenses for pulse fishing under the discard ban. The pilot project includes a detailed research agenda that is partly picked up within this project. The research agenda has been prepared by scientists from WMR (previously IMARES) and WER (previously LEI) and adjusted internationally. The purpose of the research agenda is to gain insight in the effects of pulse fishing. Within this project a part of this research will be conducted. Within this project catch data from logbook of the whole pulse fleet will be analysed at individual haul level. The data are used to estimate the change in catch efficiency due to introduction of the pulse trawl, and study the contribution of technological characteristics (type of pulse gear, settings), location choice, time since the transition, competitive interactions and fisheries management constraints. The results of the project will contribute to the assessment of the effects of the transition of the flatfish fisheries from using conventional beam trawls to pulse trawls.