Improving welfare of cod and haddock by adapting current practices in trawl fishing

Fish are sentient beings and therefore animal welfare can be considered an issue in fisheries. Current trawl fishing on cod and haddock leads to exhaustion, injuries and suffocation of the fish, indicators of impaired welfare. Fishermen might be able to implement changes in trawling to improve the welfare of cod and haddock, but they prioritize their economic balance. The aim of this study was to identify improvement options for welfare of cod and haddock during the most welfare impairing phase of catch without economic losses or extra investments to the fishermen. Fish caught in wild capture fisheries have lived a natural life prior to catch. This natural life is interrupted when they are caught and killed by fishermen. In trawl fishing, 5 phases can be distinguished that might affect fish welfare: pretrawl, drifting, towing, surfacing, and landing and processing. Data of a Norwegian trawler was used as a case. Severity of each phase was assessed by studying the contribution to stress and injuries. Also duration of each phase was analysed. In the pretrawl phase (1-12 min), fish swim away from an approaching trawler. During drifting (