Table 1.

Types of bottom fishing gear included in this review (based on FAO classification of fishing gears [31]

Gear type	Description
Beam trawl	A trawl that is towed on the seabed where the net is held open by a beam. This type of trawl targets species which live on top of the sediment (e.g. demersal fish species).
Otter trawl	A trawl that is towed on the seabed where the net is held open by ‘trawl doors’ or ‘otter boards’. This type of trawl targets species which live on top of the sediment (e.g. demersal fish species).
Towed dredge	A trawl with a metal dredge rigged with a scraper blade or teeth along the lower leading edge. This type of trawl targets species which live within the upper sediment (e.g. scallops).
Mechanized dredge	A trawl which uses pressurised water jets to fluidize surface sediments and dislodge target species. This type of trawl targets species which live within the upper sediment (e.g. clams). Also known as a hydraulic dredge.
Boat Seine	A cone-shaped net with elongated wings, seine ropes, and a codend which is used on a smooth seabed. Compared to a trawl net, a seine net usually has longer wings and utilizes heavy ropes that extend from the wings of the net to increase the area over which fish are herded. Also known as ‘fly shooting’, ‘fly dragging’, demersal seine, or a Danish Seine.