Steele et a\ Efficiency of bycatcfi reduction devices in small otter trawls in thie Florida shnmp fishery 



347 



investigated the effectiveness of BRD designs that were 

 similar to ours in offshore waters of the Gulf and the south 

 Atlantic. They reported reductions in finfish biomass of 

 4-46^r for the FFE and 18-3.5^7, for the EMF and respec- 

 tive reductions in shrimp biomass of 0-16% and 0-4%. 



Our biomass reduction ratios of finfish to shrimp ranged 

 broadly and unpredictably among net sizes and between 



BRD types and seasons, and our percentages of change 

 in both biomass and numbers of finfish ranged widely 

 between the BRD-equipped nets and their corresponding 

 controls. In our study, the proportion of finfish to inver- 

 tebrates and the species compositions and size distribu- 

 tions of these two groups influenced the ratio of finfish to 

 shrimp. Bycatch reduction and shrimp retention have also 



