Project

Reduce Your Cod Bycatch with the ULOT Net

Struggling to avoid cod and haddock? We have the right net for you.

We know that with low available quota, Atlantic cod and haddock are creating problems for fishermen looking to maximize their revenues. With the help of local fishermen, we developed a new trawling net called the ultra-low-opening trawl (ULOT) which simultaneously avoids catching cod and haddock without compromising landings of flatfish and other abundant commercial species.

A fisherman hauls up a net full of fish.

Why get ULOT net? You'll get:

  • Increased revenue from a net proven to reduce cod and haddock bycatch while maintaining or improving catch of flounders and monkfish.
  • Significantly increased fuel efficiency compared to standard nets.
  • An easily customizable net that meets your fishing needs.
  • The opportunity to contribute to collaborative science and gear innovation.

"The ULOT will drastically reduce those round species while retaining 100% flat species and monkfish. In my own experience I believe I caught more flatfish and monkfish using the ULOT.

Dan Murphy Commercial Fisherman, F/V Tribiah Lee

Connect with a ULOT fisherman.

Fishermen are already using the ULOT net throughout the Gulf of Maine with success. If you are interested in speaking directly with a fishermen using a ULOT net, we can connect you. Reach out to Aaron Whitman to get started.

Aaron Whitman
Aaron Whitman Senior Research Associate (207) 228-1686 [email protected]

A trawling net is hauling fish out of the water.
a picture of the ULOT net
The modified ULOT net, ready to be deployed.
A net is being tested in a flume tank.

More on the ULOT net design:

The ULOT net has a lower vertical opening, a design that takes advantage of behavioral differences between cod and other groundfish. When pursued by a net, cod may swim upward into the water column — away from the net. Other groundfish, including halibut and flounder, stay lower to the seafloor instead, remaining in the net’s path.

A diagram of the ULOT net.
Technical drawing of the standard bottom trawl used in an experiment in the Gulf of Maine over a 14-d period during May–June 2016. Catches with the standard trawl and the ultra-low-opening trawl (ULOT) were compared to examine the efficacy of the ULOT at reducing catch of overfished Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) without loss of catch of other commercially important flat-fish species. For each netting panel, the mesh size (in inches), twine diameter (in millimeters), panel dimensions (in number of meshes), and taper cuts are indicated. HL=headline; B=bar; and P=point. (Eayrs et. al, 2020).
This is a graphic depicting two nets with different designs, and it shows how some fish avoid one better than the other.
The graphic depicts how the ULOT net takes advantage of cod behavior to limit bycatch.

Project Team

Questions or comments? Contact GMRI Senior Research Associate Aaron Whitman.

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