Evaluations of the Nordmore Grid and Secondary Bycatch-Reducing Devices (BRDs) in the Hunter River Prawn-Trawl Fishery, Australia

Estuarine prawn trawling in New South Wales, Australia, captures significant numbers of nontarget organisms. Several bycatch-reducing devices (BRDs) were compared to determine their effectiveness for reducing bycatch while maintaining prawn catch levels. A solid separator panel, a soft separator panel, and four secondary BRDs (fisheye, extended mesh funnel, Allerio Brothers grid, and square mesh panel) were attached to a Nordmore grid in a paired comparison experiment in the Hunter River prawn trawl fishery. The Nordmore grid and all secondary BRDs took less bycatch and more prawns compared with the commercially used blubber chute. Many commercial prawn fishers have voluntarily adopted the Nordmore grid because of its efficiency.