The aim of the work presented in this paper was to assess the relative efficiency of the GOC 73 sampling trawl used for the Mediterranean international trawl survey programme (MEDITS) compared with that of a typical Italian commercial trawl. The latter was chosen because it is commonly used by fishermen in the central Adriatic, where the experiment was conducted, and therefore appeared as the best possible sampler of the commercial species present in those areas. Moreover, this trawl is similar to the various trawls used for the Italian national survey programme (GRUND). Four fishing trips were conducted between 1996 and 1997 in different areas and seasons to sample different species. Each trip was conducted in the same fishing area. A codend cover mounted on the commercial trawl ensured that the codends of the two nets had the same mesh opening. The two trawls were alternated daily. Net geometry (horizontal and vertical net opening) was measured during all tows. Catch data were converted into abundance per swept area before comparing the trawls. Efficiency comparisons were performed on ten fish species, one crustacean and four molluscs belonging to the MEDITS list of main reference species. The MEDITS trawl was significantly less efficient in terms of both weight and numbers of individuals fished for hake (Merluccius merluccius), common sole (Solea vulgaris) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). A highly significant difference in favour of the commercial trawl was found in the weight, but not the numbers, of common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus). Efficiency differences were negligible for red mullet (Mullus barbatus), while the MEDITS trawl was significantly more efficient for the numbers of Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). For all the other main reference species differences were not significant. The commercial trawl was more efficient for large individuals of some species. The relative efficiency of the MEDITS trawl was especially low for small-size classes of N. norvegicus. The results confirm the lower efficiency of the MEDITS compared with the commercial Italian trawl for benthic species, and its greater efficiency for some others released from the bottom as well as for the pelagic ones. These data allow the results of the MEDITS surveys to be compared with those of the GRUND programme and with commercial-fleet catches in areas where the commercial trawls used are similar to the one studied here.

Escapement through the body or under the footrope of the sampling trawl used for the Mediterranean international trawl survey programme (MEDITS) was assessed i) by means of visual observations performed with a towed operating vehicle equipped with a high-sensitivity video camera, and ii) by attaching small bags to the outside of the trawl body and under the footrope. Due to the small size of most of the individuals present in the study area and to the towing speed, fish behaviour in front of the trawl could not be frequently observed. In contrast, their behaviour was easily observed inside the net, especially upstream and inside the codend. Some species, such as horse mackerel (Trachurus sp.), showed greater swimming endurance compared with others such as annular seabream (Diplodus annularis). In three fishing trips conducted in different seasons in 1996 and 1997 to obtain data on several species in different areas of the Adriatic, six small net bags were mounted outside the body of the MEDITS trawl to quantify escapement through the trawl belly and under the footrope. Significant escapement of many species occurred in the near-bottom part of the side panels. Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) had the highest rate (64 %), mainly represented by small-size individuals. The escapement of greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides) was also high (53 %). For hake (Merluccius merluccius), common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) and poor cod (Trisopterus minutus capelanus), rates ranged from 10 to 16 %. The escapement of red mullet (Mullus barbatus) was very low despite their great abundance. Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) escaped mainly through the mid-height part of the side panel. This great variability of escapement values could affect the proportion rates of the species sampled during a standard survey. Different escape behaviours among size classes were observed for M. poutassou, T. minutus capelanus and P. erythrinus, with smaller individuals tending to escape towards the bottom and larger ones towards the higher parts of the trawl body. In the species where the escape rate was size-dependent, therefore, the size-frequency distributions obtained from the codend catch may not reflect actual size-frequency distributions.