Numerous measures are now in progress to help cut the costs of fishing for the North Sea beam trawl fleet, which is still reeling from the effects of hefty fuel prices rises.
The new Dutch beam trawler Catharina KW-145 is built to run on heavy fuel and another beam trawler is now set to be refitted for burning this lower cost fuel.
In general, however, fuelsaving measures have focused on fishing gear.
Increasing use of lightweight Dyneema twines has helped some beamers reduce the drag of their trawls to save fuel while maintaining - or even improving - their catch rates.
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