The mobilisation of sediment by demersal otter trawls

The mobilisation of sediment by towed demersal fishing gears has been related to the release of nutrients, benthic infaunal mortality and the resuspension of phytoplankton cysts and copepod eggs. Hence, to understand the broader environmental and ecological implications of demersal fishing, it is important to be able to estimate accurately the amount of sediment put into the water column by towed gears. Experimental trials were carried out in the Moray Firth, Scotland, to measure the quantity of sediment remobilised by trawl gear components. It is demonstrated, for a given sediment type, that there is a relationship between the hydrodynamic drag of the gear element and the mass of sediment entrained behind it. A better understanding of this relationship and the hydrodynamic processes involved will lead to the development of accurate predictive models and aid the design of fishing gears of reduced impact.