Bottom trawling is a commonly used fishing technique for benthic species. However, it has been criticised for poor catch selectivity, ecosystem degradation and high fuel consumption. In the industry, electric pulse trawling is seen as a promising alternative. These trawls send out electrical signals that trigger muscle contractions in fish. Although pulse trawling has several advantages over traditional trawling, such as reduced fuel consumption and by-catch, it has also been criticised for potentially causing spinal damage in fish species and increased mortality of invertebrate fish, which can have far-reaching effects on the food web, affecting other species.
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