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The UK's Sea Fish Industry Authority has recently completed a study that considered the reasons why fishermen discard fish.
It found that economic factors might be more important than fishery regulations.
The study, which also involved researchers from Spain, Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Plymouth, examined discarding patterns in relation to UK and Spanish crews.
It concluded: "Economic factors had a very strong influence on discarding and retention practice. There were clear incidences where they were stronger than fishery regulations. This occurred, both in terms of fish being retained smaller than the minimum landing size because of the strength of local market demand and being discarded larger than the minimum landing because of weakness of local market demand for this size group of fish. It is clear that efforts to reduce discarding that do not take into account market forces are unlikely to succeed."
The UK fishermen who took part in the study were Cornish, Northern Irish, and also Anglo Spanish.
The Spanish crews were from the Basque region and Western Spain.
The study looked at 26 fisheries in terms of improving selectivity through cod-end mesh size changes.
In approximately three of these fisheries, there was evidence that cod end mesh size could be increased without a reduction in the catch, therefore enabling juvenile fish to mature.
The study also found that there were substantial differences in attitude regarding the discarding of fish, and that there were definite contrasts in the way people perceive the value of a fish of a given species or size.
Spanish fishermen tended to retain smaller specimens than UK.
It would appear that the market generally determines the practice of discarding fish, and that economic incentives will be necessary, if the levels of discarded fish are to be reduced.
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