Mexico’s National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA) has introduced a new cage model for use in coastal fishing, which will help reduce bycatch as it only allows the extraction of commercial size fish.
This new gear has been designed from research carried out by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). In the first stage it will facilitate the capture of marine fish to market size along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
The new trap can only be entered by commercial size fish, and the technological innovation applied to the design of this gear also allows the capture of finfish species in depths greater than where existing traps are traditionally located.
The trap has access entries that induce commercial size fish and a duct that leads to the bottom of the cage, where they have no way out.
By avoiding catching undersize fish, this new gear will allow juvenile fish to reproduce – preserving the biomass of the stocks.
To date there have been 13 workshops in which Institute specialists have trained coastal fishermen in the construction and operation of traps.
INAPESCA has implemented a technology package that provides fishermen with the methodology for the design and construction of traps, along with a manual that includes the steps and procedures for implementation.
