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The experiment aimed to determine what size of cull ring would reduce the catch of pre-recruit stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) and other bycatch while maintaining legal-sized catch. Catch compositions of crabs from unmodified plastic commercial stone crab traps and traps fitted with three sizes of cull rings were compared in the stone crab fishery across Florida’s west coast. Traps outfitted with cull rings retained bigger crabs, had less bycatch, and fewer pre-recruit crabs, while yielding the same number of legal-sized crabs as traps without cull rings.

 Data was collected on the relative performance of single and multiple round, rectangular, and square escape gaps across three fishing operations. Compared to control traps, those with escape gaps maintained catches of legal-sized P. pelagicus, but caught 51–100% fewer undersized individuals. Generally, rectangular escape gaps and especially multiple configurations were the most effective. Escape gaps represent a low-cost option for minimizing interactions with unwanted catches throughout the fishery.

The individual and cumulative effects of increasing mesh size and installing three escape gaps (36 × 120 mm) in collapsible‐netted round traps were assessed to address concerns associated with excessive discarding in an Australian portunid fishery. Compared to conventional traps of 56‐mm mesh throughout, those with the same mesh size and escape gaps caught significantly fewer (by 54%) undersized blue swimmer crabs, Portunus armatus, and yellowfin bream, Acanthopagrus australis (by 64%).

The study compared the efficiency of five models of pots designed to catch Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) for use in Newfoundland and Labrador‘s cod fishery. Catch per unit effort (CPUE), total lengths of cod, and bycatch rates were compared across each pot type. All pot types were successful at catching cod, but two models (a modified Newfoundland-style pot, which used 58mm clear monofilament entrance funnels, a mesh separator panel, and two bait bags; and a four-entrance pot) had the highest CPUE.

The study assessed the efficacy of applying bird scaring line regulations from the demersal longline fishery in Alaska to a similar fishery along the U.S. West Coast. However, unlike in the  Alaskan sablefish fishery, some U.S. West Coast sablefish vessels utilize floated longlines. Results from the study confirmed that bird scaring regulations from Alaska were sufficient to protect baits from bird attacks on longlines without floats, but not baits with floats.