New trawl door significantly reduces seabed contact

Instead of having continual contact with the seabed when demersal trawling, the door is designed in such a way that it only intermittently hits the bottom before jumping up again. This delivers environmental benefits by significantly reducing contact time on the sea floor.

The Jumper door has undergone a number of developmental flume tank and sea trials working in conjunction with Ifremer, the French national fisheries research and support institute. The Jumper works through design elements that makes the door roll inside, thus producing an upward hydrodynamic force, which in turn relieves pressure on the seabed.

The ‘V’ shape of the design also means that only a few heavy protective shoes are required at the lower end of the door. The project has now reached a stage where the doors are ready for commercial fishing trials, which will take place shortly.

Michel Dagorn of Morgére said, “We are pleased with the developmental progress of this new type of door. During the trials, a good spread and angle of attack was achieved and the doors were very stable.”

A model of the Jumper door will be on display on the Morgére stand (B140) at the Itechmer 2015 exhibition in Lorient on 14-16 October.