Do rare earth metals deter spiny dogfish?
A feasibility study on the use of Mischmetals to reduce dogfish catches in hook and lobster gear in Gulf of Maine. This collaborative research study assessed the feasibility of incorporating rare earth metal (Mischmetal) into three commercial and recreational fishing gears (longline, rod and reel and lobster traps) as a means of reducing the catch of dogfish during times when dogfish abundance is problematic for fishermen in the Gulf of Maine. Please visit our project website for details. Escape vent selectivity, bycatch and discard survivability in the New England fishery for deep water red crab, Chaceon quinquedens. The trap fishery for red crab, Chaceon quinquedens, occurs at depths of 600-800 m along the continental slope of New England. The target product is a male crab with a carapace width of ~105 mm or greater. Selectivity was tested at two discrete depths (600 m and 800 m), for four different escape ring scenarios: control trap, with no escape rings, and then escape rings with
