Electrofishing in Marine Fisheries

Electrofishing exploits the effects of electric fields on the target species to aid their capture. The challenge is to design the gear so that the electric field is strong enough to stimulate the target species and make it available for capture, while minimising any adverse effects on other species. Larger fish are more likely to be affected by an electric field than smaller fish, because for a given field strength they are likely to be subjected to a greater potential difference from nose to tail or across the body. Species specific differences in behaviour have been found for fish, molluscs and crustaceans.