Marieke Desender

Impact of Pulsed Direct Current on Embryos, Larvae, and Young Juveniles of Atlantic Cod and its Implications for Electrotrawling of Brown Shrimp

AbstractThe application of electrical pulses in fishing gear is considered a promising option to increase the sustainability of demersal trawl fisheries. In the electrotrawl fishery for brown shrimp Crangon crangon, an electrical field selectively induces a startle response in the shrimp. Other benthic organisms remain mainly on the seafloor and escape underneath a hovering trawl. Previous experiments have indicated that this pulse has no short-term major harmful effects on adult fish and invertebrates. However, the impact on young marine life stages is still unknown. Because brown shrimp are caught in shallow coastal zones and estuaries, which serve as important nurseries or spawning areas for a wide range of marine species, electrotrawling on these grounds could harm embryos, larvae, and juveniles. We carried out experiments with different developmental stages of Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua, which are considered vulnerable to electrical pulses. Three embryonic stages, four larval stages, and one juvenile ...