New Trawling method and the EU.

I know this is not really a forum fishing thing but I know some are interested in this type of subject so though might as well post it just out of interest.
Watching Newsnight the Dutch have come up with a new trawling method, it involves running a cable over the sea bed that emits a mild electric current which makes the fish jump up and into the net. As opposed to the beam method which involves dragging a heavy beam across the sea bed; this destroys a lot of the sea bed, heavily trawled areas never recovering. Always been a controversial method because of the damage it does. This electric method does not do this, 80% of Dutch trawlers are now using it.
However, I missed some of the program and there are some doubtful areas which I guess are cruelty issues but it was demonstrated that the electric current is very mild. I think the reduction in the devastation of sea bed most welcome and a great innovation but should it outweigh any other issues.
The EU has banned it for all EU trawlers but will review it in 2019 where they might or might not allow it. Whether it will be in time but we will be able to make up our own minds by then and decide to allow it or not. I just thought this was a small glimpse of the world to come.

markg said:

80% of Dutch trawlers are now using it.

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markg said:

The EU has banned it for all EU trawlers

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???

Is that to say that the ban is on using it in EU waters Mark, I can't otherwise see how a large part of the Dutch fleet are using it when the EU have banned it unless they've banned it after the event?

Mixed feelings personally, anything which does less damage to the sea bed has to be a good thing but we're back in that super efficient dilemma of less possibly getting more by way of how fish stocks are harvested, barring another quota system.

Did you see the guy on the same program on the sixty second slot, he had my vote 100%... Basically talking about the unviability and pitfalls of GDP growth and how it can't be sustained in relation to the already hugely over harvested natural resources of the earth and instead requiring a different measure of national wellbeing altogether and relevant in this case to a similar situation with the fish stocks issue.

Unfortunately Binka I missed some of the bits, perhaps I shouldn’t have posted it but I am sure I got the main points right, 80% of the Dutch fleet are already using it, they invented it, the EU have banned it but will review it in 2019. They demonstrated how it works well enough, interesting and does work. This trawling up the sea bed has been a big issue for a long time.
The other bit I cannot recall seeing but I get the gist of it from your remarks, does make sense, this GDP thing seems to be the bible these days and looking at the state of play of the nations that use it as the bible , you have to wonder if it does not guide us very well at all; looking at new ways of doing thing being my forte, you know what I mean. I expect he would get my vote as well.

Ah just looked it up, seems the EU has granted the Dutch a special licence for experimental purposes but banned it from the rest of the EU in the meantime. This will explain it better http://britishseafishing.co.uk/pulse-trawling/

A piece of it:-
The pulse trawling system was invented by in the Netherlands by Piet Jan Verburg in 1992. The Dutch have remained the biggest proponents of pulse trawling and have advanced the use of this technology claiming that pulse gear has less contact with the seabed meaning that there is more of the target species caught, less bycatch, less damage to the seabed and fish that are caught have less damage done to them and therefore reach a higher price at market. Furthermore, and the point that is of most interest to commercial fishermen if that pulse trawls are up to ten times lighter than traditional beam trawl gear (9), meaning that fishing with pulse gear uses up to 40% less fuel than traditional beam trawling (1), (2) . Although it costs on around £300,000 to convert a beam trawler to a pulse trawler and retrain the crew to use the new equipment, the savings that can be made mean that this investment can soon repay itself.

I think this could represent a big change in practices if deemed OK. Promising.

The latest I can find on this topic is from "Fishing News", 13/7/2017, where it says that the EU are set to give the green light to this method . . . as it does a lot less damage to the sea bed and is up to 10 times lighter than conventional beam trawls, (so much less fuel consumption)

Pulse trawling set to get green light | Fishing News

If these savings are passed on in the form of a reduced quota needed for the same profit margins then great, or will just lead to an increased efficiency and higher hatch rate, reducing stocks further? hmm

Reading the British Seafishing link it's clear they're not too keen on the idea