LogoDiscardLess Strategies for the gradual elimination of discards in European fisheries

Tools


The Discardless DMS toolbox (Discard Mitigation Strategies ToolBox) aims to gather , synthetize and disseminate the knowledge produced by the DiscardLess project in a single repository freely accessible online. The preliminary version of the ToolBox contains already two operational modules.


Atlas

  • The first tool created under the cover of the DiscardLess DMS toolbox is an online atlas, linking and mapping discard data from STECF, ICES and GFCM for selected European fisheries in a synthetic manner.

Selectivity Manual

  • The second tool is a catalogue of selective gears. This catalogue is composed of a generic manual describing the selective properties of the various components of a trawl, together with factsheets of numerous existing gear modifications tested in European fisheries to avoid unwanted bycatches.

Fishermen's Story

  • Fisheries   stakeholders   from   Ireland,   Denmark, Spain - the Balearics, France - Eastern Channel, Greece - North Aegean Sea , and Portugal - Azores were interviewed. They include whitefish  and  pelagic  trawlers  (both  single  and  twin  rig  trawlers),  prawn  trawlers  and seine netters. It also includes small scale fishers using gill and trammel nets and bottom deep-water longlines  and  handlines.  The  semi-structured  interviews  addressed  a  range of issues relating to the fishermen’s responses to the Landing Obligation regulations. Solutions  proposed  by  fishermen  were  separated  into  technical  (gear  changes),  tactical (fishing behaviour changes) and management. The responses and synthesis by question theme are given inside this new DMS module.

Adapting Fishing Vessels

  • This report provides an overview of the work that has been done in task 5.4 in the DiscardLess project.  The  aim  of  that  work  has  been  to  take  suggested  solutions  from  previous  tasks  in  the work  package  on  on-board  handling  of  unwanted,  unavoidable  catches  for  four  different  fleet segments  and  present  those  solutions  in 3D  drawings,  accompanied  with  a  simple  cost-benefit tool  that  allows  stakeholders  to  estimate  the  economic  feasibility  of  investing  in the  suggested solutions. The fleet segments selected represent a descriptive cross-section of European fisheries in terms of   fleet   composition and   main   challenges i.e.  11-meter   coastal   vessel,   23-meter   Danish seiner/trawler, 39-meter bottom trawler and 50-meter bottom trawler.

Valorisation Module

  • This module deals with how unavoidable, unwanted catches (UUC) could be utilised once they are landed as a consequence of the landing obligation. An extensive review of most suitable uses of UUC has been performed, based on bibliographic results, current experiences and works performed by DiscardLess partners (Report). The module provide a broad range of possibilities to valorise fish and fish compounds. Individual factsheets have been established for more than 30 different valorisations processes, including aspects related with the infrastructure needs, market and economic perpectives and regulatory constraints (Valorisation option).


Future DMS outcomes produced by the project will be disseminated in a similar way as much as possible.