Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and

for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department

Fishing Gear Types

Otter Twin Trawls

Otter twin trawls

Characteristics
Overview This special rigging system for this particular gear was developed to increase the horizontal fishing
area of the trawl and comprises two identical trawls ("twin") fixed together. The horizontal opening is
provided by a single pair of otter boards, which are attached to the trawl close to the wings. Their inner wings
are attached to a sledge towed simultaneously with the otter boards from a common crow foot. Another option
used on modern vessels in the northern shrimp fishery is to tow the gear with three warps.
Handling Equipment Trawl winches installed on deck control the trawling wires and store them when not in
use. In addition to the standard two-bobbins winch (or to two single-bobbin winches), a third winch with one
bobbin can be necessary according to the rigging of the twin trawls (which can be either two or three warps
arriving to the trawler).
Vessel Overview Trawlers.

Fish Operation In twin trawling one vessel tows two to four trawls. In shrimp trawl and nephrops trawl
fisheries it is common to tow twin trawls over the stern. With a special rigging there is also a possibility for
towing three trawls using to warps. In tropical shrimp trawling with outriggers twin trawls are towed on each
side (which makes a total of four trawls towed at the same time).
Target Species They are generally used for catching shrimp or bottom species.

Water Area Overview All over the world.

Gear Environment All shrimp trawling areas.

Impacts

Unwanted bycatch of fish is one of the main negative impacts. Use of bycatch reduction devices
Species
(BRD) can mitigate the problem.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department