Electric pulse fishing

In conventional bottom trawling the trawl doors and foot rope, which consists of steel chains mounted to the bottom of the net opening, disturb the seabed, causing the demersal fish to swim along in the mouth of the net until they succumb and fall into cod end.

Electric pulse fishing gear does not involve these chains, but features cables with electrodes consisting of isolated and conductive elements mounted in the dragging direction.

A short-lasting electric field is generated to disturb demersal fish without killing or paralysing them, but rather by causing an involuntary muscular contraction.

[4] It therefore requires significantly less fuel, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions and makes it an economically interesting alternative.

[4] In January 2018, the European Parliament approved a call to ban electric pulse fishing, seen by some as cruel.

The pulse trawl: electrodes in the tow direction of the gear cause an electric field above the seabed, which stimulate the flatfish so they come up toward the net