Breadcrumbs

 Framework

Small and medium-sized trawl gear in which the mouth is made of a rigid structure and the codend is meshed or consists of a metal grid.
 
 Description

This towed fishing gear, on foot or by boat, acts on the bottom of the sea and aims to catch bivalve molluscs. The gear consists of a net bag and its opening is connected to a rigid structure of varying shape and size equipped, at the bottom, with a panel with or without teeth that revolves the bottom. The bivalves are trapped in a sack or sieve that allows water, sand and mud to escape.

There may be a wooden handle linked to the dredger, longer or shorter depending on whether it is dragging on foot or from a vessel. In shallow water, the cable is short and the fisherman can be fitted with a belt to assist him in trawling.

 
 Features

In the case of a hook from a vessel:

• Maximum width of the mouth: 1,5 m in the north western zone and 1 m in the remaining zones;
• Maximum length of comb´s teeth: 55 mm for Solen marginatus and razor shells; 15 cm. Minimum gap between teeth: 15 mm.

In the case of hand hook, the maximum width of the mouth may not exceed 60 cm and the maximum height of the mouth may not exceed 50 cm. The maximum length of the comb teeth is 15 cm and there should be a minimum tooth gap of 15 mm.

 
 Mesh ranges

In the case of the hook used from boat the authorized, the mesh size permitted varies depending on species, with a minimum of 30 mm for shell, white clam and striped Venus. .

In the case of hand hook the minimum mesh size is 25 mm.
 

 Target species

It is intended for the capture of bivalves.
 
 Area of action

It operates near the coast, usually at depths below 50 m. It is permitted from a minimum depth of 2,5 meters and may not, cumulatively, operate less than 300 meters from the shoreline in concessioned beach areas during the bathing season.

Defined 3 areas of operation (North West, South West and South), the licensed vessels may not operate outside the areas covered by the Registration Captaincy.
 
 Other constraints

No more than two hooks can be used at the same time.

No fishing between 1^st May and 15^th June. During this period fishing with hand hooks is authorized and only 5 kg of shell can be caught each day.

There are other catch restrictions and permissible maximums per day, varying depending on operating zones.
 
 Images

 

 Legislation

Ordinance No 1102-E/2000 of 22^nd November, approving the Regulation on Trawl Fishing, republished by Ordinance No. 349/2013 of 29^th November.

Ordinance No. 66/2017 of 13^th February introduces the twelfth amendment of the Regulation on Trawl Fishing and creates the Monitoring Committee for Hook Fishing.

The general rules on trawl fishing provide for the possibility of establishing specific measures for hook fishing in different areas. So:

North West Zone

Ordinance No. 629/2009 of 8^th June 2009 establishes rules applicable in the North Western Zone, as amended by Ordinance No. 170/2011 of 27^th  April, as amended by Ordinance No. 170-A/2014 of 27^th August and by Ordinance No. 66/2017 of 13^th February.

Order No. 19/DG/2021 of 4 May, establishes, for biological reasons, for the year 2021, the following interdiction periods:

• North of the parallel that passes through the northern limit of the Captaincy of Aveiro (40 ° 56.0 N) - from 1 to 31 May
• South of the parallel that passes through the northern limit of the Captaincy of Aveiro (40 ° 56.0 N) - from 1 to 30 June.

South West Zone

Ordinance No. 775/2009 of 21^st July establishes rules applicable in the South West.

South Zone

Ordinance No. 171/2011 of 27^th April establishes restrictions in the South Zone, as amended by Ordinance No. 170-A/2014 of 27^th August and Ordinance No. 66/2017 of 13^th February.

Order No. 19/DG/2021 of 4 May, maintains the interdiction, for biological reasons, for the year 2021 established in paragraph 1 of article 21 of the Fishing Trawl Regulation, approved by Ordinance No. 1102-E/2000, from 22 November, in its current wording – from 1 May to 15 June.