In 1984, the small-scale fisheries project of the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) introduced a new design of prawn-cum-trawl net in Pesalai, Sri Lanka, to help augment the catches of finfish and shellfish in the region. As part of this pilot activity, the project also conducted a management study: to find out the optimum mesh size of the codend of the trawl. Toward this end, some experiments were conducted off Pesalai during April and July 1984. This paper discusses and analyzes the findings of these experiments.

Three commercial prawn trawlers of the same class, and three fish-cum-prawn trawls of the same dimension and construction, were employed for the mesh selectivity experiments. A scientist from NARA (National Aquatic Resources Agency), Colombo, carried out the study, in cooperation with Mr. G. Pajot, BOBP Senior Fishing Technologist, and Dr. K. Sivasubramaniam, Senior Fisheries Biologist. The author thanks these two Scientists for their advice and help. He also thanks Mr. M.G.K. Gunawardane, Research Assistant, Mr. W.G. Sirisena, Lab Attendant, NARA, and Mr. M.J.M. Soosai, Gear Instructor, Ministry of Fisheries, Sri Lanka, for their assistance. He is grateful to Dr. S. Garcia of the FAO, Rome, for his comments on the paper.

The small-scale fisheries project of the Bay of Bengal Programme is funded by SIDA (Swedish International Development Authority) and executed by the FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The project seeks to develop, demonstrate and promote technologies and methodologies to improve the conditions of small-scale fisher-folk. The project covers five countries in the region - Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.