Selectivity experience with the commercial fleet trawl nets using a square mesh selector panel applied to Peruvian hake Merluccius gayi peruanus

Abstract

In winter 2006 the experimental application of the square mesh panel in the commercial trawl fleet in northern Peru was carried out. The trawls alternated with 90 mm diamond mesh conventional codend and 42L x 42L mm square mesh escape panel methodology was used. The trawls were performed using a commercial trawl net in the 3° 20’ S-4° 00’ S, area where the best concentrations of hake specimens of large sizes were located. The catch comprised 18-42 cm length individuals with a 26.1-26.9 cm average length for the conventional and experimental codends, respectively. The L50% catch length estimated with the SELECT method was 26.4 cm, below the minimum 35 cm regulated. The use of the square mesh panel reduced only by 1.4-10.3% the catch of specimens below the 35 and 28 cm reference length, respectively.