The study entitled How We Fish Matters: Addressing the Ecological Impacts of Canadian Fishing Gear, was released by the Living Oceans Society, Ecology Action Centre and Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

"Currently, some types of fishing gear are destroying critical habitats such as coral forests and sponge fields while the use of other gear results in high bycatch and discard levels of non-target species," says Susanna Fuller of the Ecology Action Centre.

Fishery professionals were asked to rank impacts of 13 different gear types used in Canada. They found the bottom trawl causes the greatest impact on habitat and discarded bycatch. The study recommends fisheries managers implement ecologically risk adverse strategies to minimize impacts of fishing gear.