Several accidents have been reported in the blue whiting fishery off the west coast of Ireland, where trawls have burst during fishing operations, resulting in large volumes of fish being wasted and damage to fishing gear.
Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries said both the Coast Guard and the agency’s sea service have observed at least three recent incidents in which trawl nets burst while vessels were hauling catches. The failures led to large numbers of blue whiting being killed without being landed, causing financial losses for vessel owners due to lost catch and damaged gear.
Large parts of the Norwegian blue whiting fleet, along with some Russian trawlers, are currently fishing in the area west of Ireland.
Large catches increase risk at sea
Authorities say the season has been challenging because vessels are encountering very large catches. This increases the risk that the trawl cod-end may burst during fishing operations.
“In addition to our own observations, we also receive feedback from the fleet saying it has been a demanding season,” said Rolf Harald Jensen, Director at the Directorate of Fisheries’ sea service.
When a trawl bursts, the catch is lost, and large quantities of fish die unnecessarily. Gear damage also adds repair costs and vessel downtime.
Safety guidance issued earlier in the season
At the start of the season, the Directorate of Fisheries published a set of “best practice” guidelines to reduce the risk of accidents in the blue whiting fishery.
The guidelines were developed in collaboration with the fishing industry, the Institute of Marine Research, and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry Research Fund (FHF).
Key advice includes careful operation on difficult fishing grounds, checking cod-ends before the season, using nets with sufficient volume, installing several catch sensors and ending hauls in a controlled way.
Fleet urged to follow best practice
The Directorate of Fisheries has asked all vessels targeting blue whiting with pelagic trawls in high-risk areas to review the expanded best-practice list and implement the necessary measures to avoid accidents.
Many vessels have already started fishing in the blue whiting grounds west of Ireland, and authorities are urging the fleet to operate with caution during the season.