2026 Focus Sessions

Cairns, Australia. May 11-15, 2026

Research failures, no effects and lessons learned (FS Fails)

 Conveners

 Introduction

Scientists typically communicate their work by emphasizing successes, positive results, and im-pressive data. However, behind many of these polished presentations and publications lies a less visible reality: a long journey of dead ends, frustrations, and hours of unproductive effort. Draw-ing from the collective experience in fisheries research, we aim to create a platform that high-lights not our greatest successes, but our failures, unexpected outcomes, and the lessons learned from them.

 Terms of Reference

  • Share null or unexpected results.
  • Share research failures.
  • Provide insights and solutions to prevent similar challenges in future research.

Justification

By openly sharing mistakes and unsuccessful experiments, scientists can prevent the repetition of ineffective approaches, ultimately saving time and resources. Regular sharing of “failure” in-formation will lead to improved research practices across the community. Additionally, this fo-cus session will offer a platform for collaborative problem-solving, enabling researchers to lev-erage group expertise to address and potentially resolve the issues that led to failed experiments.

Innovative codend designs to improve fish welfare, discard survival, product quality, and selectivity (FS Codend)

Convener

Introduction

Recent developments in codend design and materials have introduced new possibilities to improve fish welfare, discard survival, and product quality, while also influencing size and species selectivity. Those systems incorporate features such as graded water flow to reduce turbulence, open geometries to minimize contact injuries, and species-specific escape openings based on fish morphology. Some designs also include impermeable codend sections that allow fish to be hauled on board in a water-filled environment, reducing compression and physical stress.

These technologies, often compatible with existing trawl gear, aim to support more sustainable and responsible fishing practices. However, their performance is influenced by gear configuration, target species, and operational context, requiring adaptation and testing within specific fisheries. This session will provide a platform to share ongoing developments, experimental results, and operational experiences from different regions, and to discuss the broader implications for selectivity, catch handling, and compliance with management frameworks.

Terms of Reference

  • Share experiences and experimental results on novel codend systems from different fisheries and regions.
  • Evaluate effects on discard survival, product quality, fish welfare, and catch composition.
  • Discuss how innovative codend designs affect size and species selectivity.
  • Identify practical challenges in implementation and explore how these systems could be integrated into current regulatory frameworks or certification schemes.

Justification

As the fishing industry faces increasing pressure to reduce unwanted catch and improve animal welfare standards, codend innovation offers a promising path forward. Widespread adoption depends on scientific validation, fishery-specific adaptation, and regulatory feasibility. This topic group supports technical exchange within WGFTFB to discuss and advance the development and practical implementation of novel codend systems.