Semi-pelagic trawl doors in the central Kattegat (117632)

Splendør investigates the effects of introducing requirements for the use of semi-pelagic trawl doors in mobile bottom trawling fisheries in a test area in the central Kattegat. The test area has been agreed by the government and is likely to be in place by 2028.

The bottom trawl fishery in the test area is for Nephrops and prosecuted by smaller vessels in the 14 – 18m range towing a twin-trawl and clump. The fishing and herding efficiency, the fuel consumption, and the physical and biological impacts will be investigated. A typical Nephrops twin-trawl will be tested with traditional bottom contacting doors and with semi-pelagic doors.

There will be engineering trials of the hydrodynamic and geotechnical drag and spreading forces of the doors, assessments of their physical impacts which will consider differences of penetration depth and the overturning and mobilization of sediment and carbon. Fishing trials will evaluate fishing performance and herding efficiency. There will be detailed, high resolution measurements of the surface geology and morphology, pre and post trawling and BACI (before after control impact) experiments will take place to evaluate the biological benthic impact. A trade-off analysis will consider the viability of these gears, in relation to their fishing performance and their biological and environmental impacts.

The project will initiate in February 2026. The project's results will be made freely available to all enterprises operating within the relevant sector or subsector. The approximate date on which the expected results of the project will be published on www.aqua.dtu.dk/publications is 1 February 2030.

Funding

The project is funded by Green Programme: Green Transition for Fisheries and Aquaculture (pursuant to the research reserve in the Finance Act for 2025, section 24.63.10.85).

Research area: Fisheries Technology
Research area: Ecosystem based Marine Management