Measurements of Fuel Consumption and Towing Resistance in Sea Snail Beam Trawl Fisheries: Preliminary Results

At constant speed and revolutions per minute (rpm), the effect of beam trawls on fuel consumption and towing resistance in sea snails (Rapana venosa Valenciennes, 1846) fisheries were measured by a fuel flow meter and force gauge. A traditional beam trawl was used to capture sea snails. Three different sledges (one traditional, T, and two modified, M-1 and M-2) were compared for differences of fuel consumption and towing resistance on two sea ground types (sandy and sandy. muddy) during the fishing operation. Beam trawls were observed by underwater video cameras. Trawl hauls with a 10 min towing duration were carried out from July to September 2015 in the southern Black Sea (Turkey). M-1 had the lowest fuel consumption on sandy bottoms and sandy. muddy bottoms at constant rpm and speed (P<0.0001). Although the other sledges (T and M-2) had low towing resistance in some cases, M-1 was found to be slightly better than the other sledges (P<0.0001).