Title: Bottom and pelagic sampling trawl in Lake Victoria (Keyna)

Analytical studies were done on the trawl gear used for fish stock assessment in Lake Victoria, Kenya. The aim was to acquire knowledge on the trawl operations, analyse the gear components and evaluate general gear performance. Plans for bottom and pelagic nets were studied, analysed and re-drawn. Theoretical formulae and formulae derived from more reliable full-scale experiments where used to determine the resistance of gear and gear components in relation to vessel towing power, and vertical and horizontal trawl openings. The study revealed that trawls can be towed at the desired speed range 3-4 knots for the bottom trawl and 2-3 knots for the pelagic trawl. The study will help users to evaluate gear performance and to estimate vertical trawl openings of the sampling trawls.