Acronym NA
Category
Fisheries
Title Development of a lighter mussel dredger for blue mussel fishery Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Per Dolmer Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
DTU-AQUA - Technical University of Denmark; National Institute of Aquatic Resources (Denmark)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2008 End year 2010 Funding (€) € NA Website https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/projects/development-of-a-lighter-mussel-dredger-for-blue-mussel-fishery-3 Summary Mussel fishery has been identified as a possible treat to fulfilling the aims of habitat protection in specific sites. Also in the Limfjord during the last 10-15 years, the mussel population together with the landings has declined significantly. An explanation for this decline has been that the fishery removes stone and hard substrate reducing recruitment potential for newly-settled mussels. The project’s aim was to develop a lighter gear for blue mussel dredging that may have lower impact on removal of hard substrate, and be more in line with requirements for habitat protection. The development of this gear will be based on experience and technological innovation in connection with the development of a box-dredger for oyster fishery and by modification of existing gear. International experience from other mussel fisheries will also be incorporated. This aim was achieved and the lighter gear implemented by mussel fishers. Further, the project documented the environmental impact of the new gear and showed that the lighter mussel dredge had an increased catch efficiency of mussels when compared against the Dutch mussel dredge, whilst the amount of mud stirred was considerably lower. The report concluded that the lighter dredge was therefore less detrimental to the environment than the Dutch dredge, whilst maintaining a high catch per unit effort for mussel fishery.
Keywords
Physical disturbance;
Fishing technology;
Bivalve;
Gear technology;
Mollusc;
Environmental impact;
Mussel;
Shellfish;
Marine Region
14
Skagerrak, Kattegat (27.IIIa)
1
Marine Region Map
