Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a trawl escapement device which can improve the survival rate of young fishes passed through trawl codend. The sea experiments according to the bar space of the device and bar materials were carried out to decide the bar space and device materials in Korean southern sea and off Cheju island. Stainless pipes and MC bars were used to test the efficiency of escapement device materials. Although escapement rates of MC bar for main species were a little higher compare with stainless pipe, the efficiency of device for stainless pipe was better than MC bar. Escapement devices of sort-K type and grid panel type were also compared. Escapement rates of redlip croaker(Pseudosciaena polyactis), blackthroat seaperch(Doederleinia berycoides) and finespotted flounder (Pleuronichthys cornutus) showed 61.7%, 2.0% and 2.7% on the sort-x type and 69.9%, 1.1% and 2.0% for the grid panel type but the difference was little. Fishes under 20mm head width and fishes which swimming speed is so slow compared with body length could not go through well the device. Escapement rates according to the bar space were estimated using grid panel type. The rates of redlip croaker(Pseudosciaena polyactis) for the bar space of 20mm, 25mm, 35mm were increased as 60.3%, 61.0% and 77.8%, and 9.8%, 16.4% and 45.6% for horse mackere1(Trachurus japonicus), respectively.
