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Codend selectivity in the East China Sea of a trawl net with the legal minimum mesh size

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Abstract

Selectivity curves were obtained for 22 species of fish and squid from stock assessment research data for the East China Sea between 2001 and 2011, conducted using a cover net attached to the codend of a trawl net (Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute SS-RI-type trawl net). The trawl net codend was made of diamond mesh net with a legal minimum mesh opening size of 54 mm (mesh length of 66 mm). A cover net with a mesh opening of 18 mm (or 10.3 mm depending on the research year) was attached to the codend. For each of the 20 fish species and two squid species, we pooled data of hauls where body size for the whole catch was measured without subsampling to obtain the body size compositions of fish caught in both the codend and the cover net. The maximum likelihood method was performed for estimation of parameters in the logistic curve equation representing the codend selection curve. For 18 fish species (excluding Trichiurus japonicus and Muraenesox cinereus), we examined the relationship of the obtained selection parameters [length at 50% retention (l50) and selection range (SR) (= l75–l25)] to fish body shape. We demonstrated that, in fish species with a smaller ratio of body height/width to body size (i.e., more slender body type), there was a tendency for larger l50 and SR. Furthermore, by comparing the l50 of each fish species with reproductive parameters such as minimum length at maturity, we examined the sustainability of the resources based on the minimum mesh size regulation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our deep gratitude to the crew members of the following survey vessels: the Torishima of Tankai-senpaku; the Kaiho-maru, a training fishing vessel of the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education; the Kumamoto-maru, a training fishing vessel of Kumamoto Prefectural Reiyou High School; and the Kaiyo-maru 7th of Nippon Kaiyo for their cooperation with this survey. We also thank Mr. Kazunobu Minotani and Ms. Qian Yang, students of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology for data analysis. Part of the survey was conducted by the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Division and the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center, Fisheries Research Agency (formerly the Japan Marine Fishery Resources Research Center). This study used data obtained by the Research Fund of the Fisheries Agency of Japan for fisheries stock assessments. This study was partly supported by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 16K07837.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan

    Tadashi Tokai & Daisuke Shiode

  2. Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, 851-2213, Japan

    Takeshi Sakai & Mari Yoda

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  1. Tadashi Tokai
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  2. Daisuke Shiode
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  3. Takeshi Sakai
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  4. Mari Yoda
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Correspondence to Tadashi Tokai.

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Tokai, T., Shiode, D., Sakai, T. et al. Codend selectivity in the East China Sea of a trawl net with the legal minimum mesh size. Fish Sci 85, 19–32 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-018-1270-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-018-1270-x

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