Introduction

Times have changed. In the early days of fishing, everything you caught had value. When fishmeal plants dotted the coast, the fishermen's catch went for fish meal that became chicken food and other products. Bycatch was the prize fish that brought the high price and was destined for the human market.

Today, there are few reduction plants left on the East Coast and most fish are destined for human consumption. Fisheries resources are strictly managed. Fishermen are becoming more selective about what they take out from the ocean; bycatch is a term used to define what is not desirable to catch, either for regulatory or market driven reasons.

There are many types of fishing gear and methods to capture fish. Each gear has catching power based on the characteristics of the gear and how, when and where it is fished. There are many variables that can be changed to the catch. Conservation gear engineering is an effective tool for reducing bycatch.

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