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Pelagic fishing boats may be fitted with dolphin escape panels following trials of the devices aboard Scottish pair trawlers.
The panels have been tested out as part of an effort to cut cetacean bycatches. They will resume in next year's spring English Channel seabass fishery following successful use of the device this year, when no dolphins were caught.
Trials of nets fitted with acoustic 'pingers', however, failed to show any benefit from using the electronic devices.
Scientific observers previously logged a severe dolphin bycatch taken by one Scottish pair team. On that occasion, 52 dolphins were taken in 12 hauls out of a total of 116 hauls over 71 days at sea.
That followed a monitor in 2000, when the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) recorded a bycatch of 15 dolphins over nine days at sea.
Last spring SMRU (Sea Mammals Research Unit) was engaged to trial new mitigation measures involving the use of separator grids and an escape hatch for cetaceans. The new gear was tested on a Scottish pair trawl, again with the active participation of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's association and the skippers, but no cases of dolphin bycatch were recorded.
In answer to Parliamentary questions from Green MSP Robin Harper, Scottish deputy fisheries minister Allan Wilson said: "SMRU has also monitored other pelagic fisheries in this area, but has recorded no cases of dolphin bycatch.
"If the new mitigation measures prove successful, we and will consider their wider introduction, as part of a joint UK small cetacean bycatch reduction strategy to address bycatch issues across all UK fisheries.
"The majority of vessels involved in this particular fishery, however, are French. It is therefore important that any mitigation measures are implemented at EU level also and to this end the UK Government has already made contact with the European Commissioner."
Mr Wilson also pointed out that the bycatch measures would form part of Common Fisheries Policy reform, in answer to a question from West Renfrewshire MSP Trish Godman.
Commissioner Franz Fischler stated the need to tackle the issue at a Monday meeting with European scientists.
By Peter Johnson
FIS Europe
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