Changing gear: how trials are shaping the future of fishing

What was the industry challenge? 

Consumers and retailers increasingly expect seafood to come from responsibly managed fisheries. This means that the fishing industry needs to continue to improve the sustainability and efficiency of wild capture fishing practices. A major challenge for fishing businesses is finding practical ways to improve selectivity, lower fuel consumption and minimise impacts on sensitive seabed habitats, while still maintaining profitable catches of target species. However, testing new fishing gear at sea can involve significant operational and financial risk for vessel owners.

How did Seafish and its partners respond? 

We partnered with the crew of the MFV Wakeful, Precision Seafood Harvesting, DAERA, Tesco, Macduff Shellfish, Whitby Seafoods and the Agri-Food Biosciences Institute to trial the innovative FloMo fishing device in the western Irish Sea. The project focused on the Nephrops fishery and represented the first UK commercial trial of this meshless gear. We provided technical support during the trial design phase and throughout the at-sea testing programme, helping ensure robust evidence could be gathered under real commercial fishing conditions.

What was the impact? 

The trials demonstrated encouraging results. The FloMo system substantially reduced catches of juvenile whiting, and other undersized fish, providing a clear conservation benefit. Irish Sea whiting is a conservation priority in the Northern Ireland Nephrops fishery.  

FloMo also showed strong potential to improve selectivity by allowing unwanted catch to escape while retaining commercially valuable Nephrops. In addition, the gear design aimed to improve catch quality and survivability by reducing turbulence and damage within the net.  

The project also identified that several operational improvements needed before wider fleet adoption could be achieved. These included refinements to Nephrops retention, onboard handling processes and storage arrangements. The trial highlighted the importance of collaborative, real-world testing to ensure innovative fishing technologies are both environmentally beneficial and commercially practical.