Reduced Bycatch Of Red King Crab (Paralithodes Camtschatica) In The Cod Gillnet Fisheries In Northern Norway

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Bycatch of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschatica) in stationary fishing gears, especially gillnets, is an increasing problem to the inshore fishermen in the northern part of Norway (Finnmark county). The results are large bycatches of king crabs together with the crabs’ damages on the gear and catch. In the cod fisheries, the problem might be solved by using specially made ('norsel-mounted' nets) where the net itself is floated 0.5 meters above the seabed. The norsel-mounted nets were compared with standard nets in the Varangerfjord (eastern Finnmark) in the period 17 March 28 May 1999. The trials showed that norsel nets needed more floats than the standard nets to get the net to stand properly in the sea (to get the norsels stretched out suitably). By using extra float (rings) on the norsel mounted nets the of king crab were reduced to an acceptable level with an average of 0.6 crabs/net, compared with 3.3 crabs/net on standard and 6.7 crabs/net on nets without extra float. Norsel nets caught only about as many fish as standard nets.