What aspects of the new net design are expected to improve the performance of the trawl survey?
Improvements in bottom contact and headrope height are two promising areas. 13. What are the improvements for bottom contact? The current bottom trawl survey tows a relatively light net at a relatively high speed, and bottom contact consistency is an issue, particularly under marginal weather conditions. The new net design incorporates significantly heavier ground gear, and significantly reduces gaps where fish can escape through the footgear. In addition, we are planning to upgrade to a more modern door design that will deliver stable performance over a variety of depth and bottom types. 14.What are the improvements for headrope height? The Yankee 36 trawl currently used has a relatively low headrope height, potentially resulting in size and species selectivity when fish are vertically distributed off the bottom. The new net design has a target headrope height that is approximately 2.5 times higher than the current Yankee 36 trawl. 15. Will a single design be used to conduct all surve
