Alternative Solutions for Driftnet Fisheries
The Report by A. Sala (CNR-Ismar) requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries
Wednesday 25 March 2015
The principal environmental impact of driftnets is related to the bycatch of non-target species. In general driftnets have a high degree of size selectivity and can efficiently be regulated by mesh size. Few alternative fishing methods are available to catch the species targeted by driftnets, and the impact for some of these gears is controversial. Solutions are proposed to mitigate the environmental impact of driftnet fisheries by alternative fishing gears and improvement of selectivity.