Design and trials of a large fine‐meshed fyke net for eel capture, and factors affecting size distribution of catches

Abstract

Large fine‐meshed fyke nets were constructed to provide a means of sampling the entire size range of wild eel populations, with provision for internal segregation of large eels from small eels and bycatch species. The capture efficiency of these large fine meshed‐fykes was compared with fine‐meshed trap‐nets and standard fykes. Large fykes and trap‐nets caught considerably more eels than did standard fykes (4.7 and 7.6 times greater, respectively). Although the large fykes caught 35% fewer eels, small fish, and shrimp than trap‐nets, they were much more cost‐effective to use, and fished effectively in a wider variety of habitats. The large fine‐meshed fykes provide a standardised fishing technique to capture the entire size distribution of eels. In previous eel studies, infrequent capture of small eels by fykes has been almost exclusively attributed to gear selectivity. Compared with other fishing methods, large fykes caught substantial numbers of small eels and elvers, but fewer than expected. Reasons for this may include: avoidance of nets holding large eels; the gradual nature of juvenile upstream migration causing juveniles to be less abundant in mid‐catchments; mortality including cannibalism; dietary or behavioural differences.

Keywords:

• fine meshed fykes
• net
• trap‐net
• eel
• elver
• Anguillidae
• fish
• fishing method
• selectivity
• segregation
• qualitative assessment