7AOtter trawl net (prawns)

7A Otter trawl net (prawns)

7A Otter trawl net (prawns)

(1) It is lawful for the holder of an inshore prawn endorsement, an offshore prawn endorsement or a deepwater prawn endorsement to use an otter trawl net for taking prawns in the waters specified in the Table to this clause if the net complies with the description set out in relation to those waters in that Table and the following conditions are complied with—

(a) the net is used only by the method of trawling,

(b) no string, rope, wire, cord, netting or other material is fixed to any meshes that are within 25 meshes of the draw or closing string of the codend of the net, except as permitted by subclauses (2) and (3),

(c) the net (or each net if more than one net is used) is fitted with a bycatch reduction device of a kind approved by the Secretary for use in the waters in which the net is used, and that device is fitted in accordance with any specifications approved by the Secretary and published in the Gazette (whether or not any other bycatch reduction devices are fitted to the net).

(2) A draw or closing string and a secondary string may be attached to the net in accordance with one of the following methods—

(a) method 1: a frill or panel of diamond shaped mesh (not less than 40 mm nor more than 50 mm), used to facilitate the insertion of a draw or closing string, is attached to the codend within 3 bars of the last row of bars of the codend; the frill or panel is no greater than 15 meshes deep and a draw or closing string is inserted directly in the codend, or by means of a secondary string, within 3 bars of the end of the codend,

(b) method 2: a frill or panel of diamond shaped mesh (not less than 40 mm nor more than 50 mm), used to facilitate the insertion of a draw or closing string, is attached to the codend; the frill or panel does not consist of a greater number of meshes in circumference than the number of bars in the circumference of the codend; and a draw or closing string is inserted directly in the frill, or by means of a secondary string, within 3 meshes of the point where the frill or panel is attached to the codend,

(c) method 3: a draw or closing string is inserted directly into the codend, or by means of a secondary string, without a frill or panel of diamond shaped mesh.

(2A) For the purposes of subclause (2), bars includes a reference to meshes in the case of a codend that is a diamond shaped mesh codend.