Biological

• Unrestricted gear type leading to high localised fishing effort

• Lost gear can continue to fish for significant time period (ghost fishing)

Environmental

• Minimal

• Design of 'eye'

• Type of bait

• Type of ground where set

• Size of mesh

Improvement measures and initiatives taken by Scottish Fishermen

• Creel fishermen have started to trial the use of escape panels on the sides of creels as an extra measure to allow quick and easy escape of small specimens.

• The use of hard eye creel entrances can aid eventual escape and help reduce ghost fishing mortalities from lost gear. Use of biodegradable twine in the construction of creels can also eliminate ghost fishing.

• Fleets can be set with weak links or breakaway lines to help minimise the entrapment of marine mammals.