Paul D. Winger

Memorial University of Newfoundland · Marine Institute

Entanglement in commercial fishing gear is one of the main factors inhibiting the recovery of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Installing low-breaking-strength (LBS) components in the buoy lines and main lines of stationary fishing gear may be a viable solution for some fisheries. But is it an effective solution for deep-water tra...

Commercial harvesting of snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) began in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, in 1967. Today, the fishery consists of 2188 active fishing licenses and has grown into the province’s most economically valuable fishery. Snow crabs are captured using conical traps consisting of a mild carbon steel frame, hard plastic entry funne...

In this study, we developed a semi-pelagic trawl to target redfish ( Sebastes spp.) and potentially reduce the capture of bycatch species and seabed impacts in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. The new trawl used an innovative technique connecting the upper bridles of the trawl to the warps, anterior of the trawl doors, leading to the trawl system...

A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to describe redfish behavior and escape in a T90 (mesh turned 90 •) mesh codend of a demersal trawl. Using under water video we show that redfish behavior is important to their escape mechanics and that several concentrated events occur where up to hundreds of redfish escape from th...

To reduce the retention of undersized fish in the redfish (Sebastes spp.) trawl fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, we developed a full-scale shaking codend. The shaking codend uses a mechanical stimulating device, an elliptical-shaped piece of polyvinyl chloride canvas, attached to the posterior of a T90 codend that generates a lifting fo...

Catch efficacy and bycatch are critical factors that determine the sustainability, practicality, and profitability of fishing gears. Inshore Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fisheries commonly use gillnets, cod-pots, longlines and handlines. Owing to their efficiency, selectiveness, and low effort, gillnets are the most widely used gear. Gillnets howeve...

This study is to determine the effectiveness of the semi-pelagic trawl to capture redfish commercially and understand when redfish escape from a T90 codend

A recent rebound of juvenile redfish (Sebastes spp.) in areas where the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) bottom trawl fishery in eastern Canada occurs has been challenging the fishing industry to maintain bycatch of this species within acceptable levels. Using self-contained underwater cameras and red lights, this study investigated the behavior...

Redfish (Sebastes spp.) in the Northwest Atlantic (NWA) extend from Baffin Island in the north to the Gulf of Maine in the south. The two most abundant species are Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus, which are morphometrically similar and difficult to visually distinguish. Redfish are long-lived, slow-growing, late-maturing, tend to produce l...

The hydrodynamic performance of one full-scale T0 (mesh size 90 mm) and three T90 (mesh size 90, 100, and 110 mm) codends was investigated and compared using flume tank testing, with and without a small-mesh cover. We evaluated how flow velocity, mesh circularity, and drag changed in each codend at five different towing speeds (0.5–0.9 m/s). The re...

The presentation introduces the study to develop the shaking codend to improve the size selectivity of redfish trawl fishery in Canada

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 contagion, some regions of Brazil implemented a prohibition of beach use, which contributed to a reduction of artisanal fishing activity. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of these beach closures on the incidence of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) along four beaches located on the no...

The offshore Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) fishery in Eastern Canada is currently harvested by factory freezer vessels using bottom trawls. This fishery is a major contributor to the regions' economy, however, bottom trawling typically is associated with negative benthic impacts. We evaluated the at-sea engineering performance of a roller foo...

The size selectivity and usability of three codends were quantified and compared for the first time in the inshore Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) trawl fishery of Iceland using the covered codend method: a conventional diamond-mesh codend (T0), conventional square-mesh codend (T45), and a 90 • turned mesh codend (T90) constructed of four panel...

The size selectivity of four codends were compared in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, redfish fishery (Sebastes mentella), including the regulated diamond mesh codend with a mesh opening of 90 mm (T0) and three experimental codends of different mesh openings (90, 100, 110 mm) in which the netting is turned 90° to the direction of tow (T90). Resul...

Luminescent netting increases the catch rate of snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) over short soak times (1 d), however the commercial fishery often requires longer soak periods, up to 1 week. Building on previous research, this study investigated the catch efficiency and size selectivity of pots with luminescent netting over long soak times (144-336...

This study evaluated the hydrodynamic forces produced by whole panels of hand-made (geometrically different) rope meshes typically found in midwater trawls. Experimental treatments included both knotted and knotless meshes constructed of helix composite ropes, conventional braided nylon (PA) ropes, and twisted polyethylene (PE) ropes. Direct measur...

The hydrodynamic properties of ropes can significantly affect the underwater performance of midwater trawls, including their geometry, drag, fuel consumption, and rate of gear setting and hauling activities. In this study, we investigate the hydrodynamic properties of helix ropes compared to conventional polyethylene (PE) and nylon (PA) ropes. Flum...

The size selectivity and usability of two diamond mesh codends, a traditional two-panel codend versus an experimental four-panel ultra-cross knotless mesh codend, were compared using the covered codend method in the Iceland redfish (Sebastes norvegicus and S. viviparous) fishery. Results showed that there was no significant difference in size selec...

In this study, we investigated luminescent netting as a means to improve the catch rates of snow crabs Chionoecetes opilio. A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the intensity and duration of luminescence using time‐lapse photography. We exposed experimental traps to five different treatments of UV light to excite the luminescent fib...

Commercial harvesting of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the Barents Sea started in 2012 by Norwegian fishing vessels. This new fishery has significant bait requirements, representing an emerging conservation challenge. In this study, we evaluate the performance of five alternative (natural) baits manufactured from the waste stream of existing a...

Raw carapace width data. Raw data of snow crab carapace width, including line/fleet number, bait treatment, sex, depth, set and haul date.

Raw catch data. Raw data of the number of crabs caught per trap, including pot number, line/fleet number, bait treatment, depth, set and haul date.

Fleet raw data. Raw data of the fleets, including fleet number, bait treatment, latitude, longitude, set and haul date.

This study investigated the effect of installing underwater light-emitting diode (LED) lights in different locations (close and distant to the trap entrance) and orientations (normal and upside down direction) inside baited traps targeting snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Four experimental treatmen...

Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) has become an important species for the Norwegian seafood industry since its first commercial harvest in 2012. However, periodically catch rates can be low, causing a financial strain on the fishery. Thus, improving the catch rate of existing pot designs has the potential to significantly improve the profitability of...

While the study of dispersal and connectivity in the ocean typically centres on pelagic species and planktonic larval stages of benthic species, the present work explores an overlooked locomotor means in post‐settlement benthic stages that redefines their dispersal potential. Members of the echinoderm class Holothuroidea colonize a diversity of mar...

Fishing with an artificial light stimulus has existed for thousands of years. It started with simple techniques such as burning a large fire on the beach to attract fish, but over the centuries it has become increasingly technologically advanced. Today, the use of artificial light in commercial fishing plays a very important role in contributing to...

This study investigated the effect of installing underwater Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights in different locations and orientations inside baited traps targeting snow crab Chionoecetes opilio off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as well as the economic performance associated with using lights in this fishery. Our results showed no...

This study investigated the effect of installing underwater Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights in different locations and orientations inside baited traps targeting snow crab Chionoecetes opilio off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as well as the economic performance associated with using lights in this fishery. Our results showed no...

This study investigated the behaviour and commercial catchability of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in response to different low-powered LED lights under laboratory and field conditions. We created a novel choice-experiment in a laboratory setting in which we investigated the behaviour of snow crab in response to coloured LED lights. The results s...

We developed and evaluated an innovative trawl technology that reduces seabed contact while targeting northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) off the east coast of Canada. The innovative footgear, referred to as the “aligned footgear”, was evaluated in a flume tank to estimate contact area with the seabed and then tested at sea for engineering performa...

Bottom trawls are fishing systems that are towed behind vessels for the purpose of catching fish and shellfish for commercial and scientific purposes. The dynamic behaviour of a bottom trawl is largely affected by its design, construction, rigging as well as the hydrodynamic and frictional forces experienced while towing along the seabed. Numerical...

Fillet discolouration, commonly known as bruising, is an unintended and undesirable consequence in many commercial fishing operations. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to objectively measure and characterize the size and location of discolouration patterns that are currently observed in the fillets of commercially harvested yellowt...

Management and technical approaches that achieve a sustainable level of fish production while at the same time minimizing or limiting the wider ecological effects caused through fishing gear contact with the seabed might be considered to be ‘best practice’. To identify future knowledge-needs that would help to support a transition towards the adopt...

To improve the efficiency of a commercial bottom trawl for catching yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea), we studied the behavior of individuals in the middle of the trawl mouth. Observations were conducted with a high-definition camera attached at the center of the headline of a trawl, during the brightest time of day in June 2010 off eastern...

This study compared the effectiveness of a reduced seabed impact footgear versus a traditional rockhopper footgear on identical bottom trawls targeting northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The experimental trawl used in this study was designed to be low seabed impact through the reduction of contact area of the...

We measured warp loads of a bongo sampler in a flume tank over a range of water velocities (0 - 1.05 m s-1) to estimate the payload on a winch during deployment. We used standard bongo setups comprising two mesh sizes: 500 µm and 333 µm. Warp load of a bongo sampler was less than 85 kg at maximum towing velocity. There was no evidence of the flow b...

Several technological advancements exist for the purpose of disabling baited traps if they are lost or abandoned at sea. In this study, we investigated various biodegradable twines for their potential use in the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The twines were deployed at sea for a duration of 124 days...

A Canadian demersal survey trawl (Campelen 1800) was used to investigate the differences in trawl geometry and resistance using dynamic simulation, flume tank testing, and full-scale at-sea observations. A dynamic simulation of the trawl was evaluated using DynamiT software. A 1:10 scale model was built and tested in a flume tank at the Fisheries a...

This study compared the effectiveness of a low seabed impact footgear versus a traditional rockhopper footgear on identical inshore Vónin shrimp trawls. The experimental trawl used in this study was designed to be low seabed impact through the reduction of contact area of the footgear by replacing traditional heavy rockhopper footgear with only a f...

International efforts to reduce the ecological impacts of fishing activity, including by-catch, seabed impacts, and carbon footprint, have encouraged the rapid advancement of fishing gear technology during the past few decades. However, prior to conducting gear modifications, a better understanding of animal behaviour in relation to the fishing gea...

The yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) fishery on the Newfoundland Grand Bank is currently limited by bycatch restrictions, in particular non-recovering American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides). In recent years, behavioral research of target species and their interactions to the harvesting gear have led to gear modifications that reduce...

Danish and Scottish seining has been flourishing in northern and western European countries since the 1920s. In Canada, Danish anchor seining was the first bottom seining method introduced by the St. Andrews Atlantic Biological Station (Fisheries Research Board of Canada) in New Brunswick in 1948. The commercial fishery started in the early 1950s i...

The commercial fishery is an expensive industry and requires a multitude of resources to move the product from the ocean to the consumer. Fuel costs and unintentional species caught in harvesting gear have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years, encouraging harvesting gear to become more efficient and species selective. However, prior to...

The global collapse of innumerable fish stocks confirms that a robust management strategy is the key to sustainable and profitable fisheries. In the 1960s, Geographic Information Science (GIS) emerged as a useful tool for decision makers in resource management. As a result of increasing conservation needs in fisheries, considerable research has gon...

The swimming endurance of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), native to the cold waters off the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, was investigated under laboratory conditions. Using a swimming flume, endurance was tested at swimming speeds ranging from 0.6 to 1.3 m·s-1 using water temperatures from 0.0 to 9.8°C ( mean = 3.2°C, SD = 2.8) and fish le...

Although several studies have determined swimming speeds for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) using acoustic telemetry, none have reported high-resolution tracking (high sampling frequency) for individual fish in order to obtain more accurate estimates of swimming speeds and to quantify within- and between-individual variation. In this study, in situ...

The commercial flounder fishing industry has been an extremely integral part of Newfoundland’s economy since the 1960’s. One way that efficiency in this industry is lost is unnecessary fillet damage inflicted through harvesting and processing techniques. Fillet bruising is caused when physical and/or physiological trauma causes blood vessels to rup...

Winger, P. D., and Walsh, P. J. 2007. The feasibility of escape mechanisms in conical snow crab traps. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1587–1591.Laboratory observations and morphometric measurements of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) were conducted to examine the feasibility of incorporating rigid escape mechanisms into conical snow crab trap...

Increasing regulations, bycatch restrictions, and concerns over ecosystem impact are now the driving forces for much of the development in fishing gear design occurring world-wide. Industry, government, and universities have responded to these challenges with major advancements in computer aided design, simulation, physical modeling techniques, and...

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. Includes bibliographical references.