Appendix 1 to Annex III

Specification of 110 mm, measured as inner diameter opening, square mesh window in a codend with a 105 mm or larger mesh size in trawls, Danish seines or similar towed nets.

The window shall be a rectangular section of netting in the codend. There shall be only one window. The window shall not be obstructed in any way by either internal or external attachments.

The codend shall be constructed of two panels of equal size, joined together by selvedges one on each side.

The carrying on board of a net having more than 100 open diamond meshes in any circumference of the codend, excluding the joining or the selvedges shall be prohibited.

The number of open diamond meshes, excluding those in the selvedges, at any point on any circumference of any extension or lengthening piece shall not be less or more than the maximum number of meshes on the circumference of the front end of the codend stricto sensu and the rear end of the tapered section of the trawl excluding meshes in the selvedges (Figure 1).

The window shall be inserted into the top panel of the codend. The window shall terminate not more than 4 meshes from the codline, inclusive of the hand braided row of meshes through which the codline is passed (Figure 2).

The width of the window, expressed in number of mesh bars, shall be equal to the number of open diamond meshes in the top panel divided by two. If necessary, it may be allowed to maintain at the most 20 % of the number of open diamond meshes in the top panel divided evenly on the both sides of the window panel (Figure 3).

Length of the window shall be at least 3,5 metres.

The meshes shall have a minimum mesh opening of 110 millimetres. The meshes shall be square meshes i.e. all four sides of the window netting shall be cut all bars. The netting shall be mounted such that the bars run parallel and perpendicular to the length of the codend. The netting shall be knotless braided single twine or a netting with similar proven selective properties. The diameter of the single yarn shall be at least 4,9 millimetres.

The mounting specifications are defined in Figures 4a, 4b and 4c. The length of the lifting strap shall not be less than 4 m.

Trawl gear can be divided into three different sections according to shape and function.

The trawl body is always a tapered section often between 10 and 40 m long. The extension piece is an untapered section normally manufactured of either one or two pieces of 49,5 mesh long nets giving a stretched length between 6 or 12 m. The codend is also an untapered section often made of double twine in order to have a better resistance against heavy wearing. The codend length is often 49,5 meshes i.e. circa 6 metres although shorter codends (2-4) exists in smaller vessels. The part below the lifting strap is called a lifting bag.

The distance of the window panel from the codline shall be 4 meshes. There are 3,5 diamond meshes in the upper panel and one 0,5 mesh deep hand-braided ‘codline’ row.

Twenty percent of diamond meshes in the upper panel along a perpendicular row running from one selvedge to another may be maintained. For example (as in figure 3) if the upper panel were 30 open meshes wide, 20 % of that would be 6 meshes. Then three open meshes are divided on both sides of the window panel. Consequently the width of the window panel then becomes 12 mesh bars (30 – 6 = 24 diamond meshes divided by two is 12 mesh bars).

Showing the construction of lower panel made of 49,5 meshes deep netting

The construction of upper panel, size and position of the window panel in case when the escape panel runs from selvedge to selvedge

The construction of upper panel in case 20 % of diamond meshes in the upper panel are maintained and equally divided on both sides of the window