Square mesh panels are often inserted in the codend or extension of a fishing net to allow under-sized fish an extra opportunity to escape. The effectiveness of the panel can be quantified by placing a small-mesh cover over the panel to catch all the fish that escape through it. This paper develops methodology for modelling the data from such covered panel experiments. The selection process is modelled in two stages: first, selection in the panel area, and second, conventional codend selection. Several different curves describing selection in the panel area are investigated. These include...

Square mesh panels are often inserted in the codend or extension of a fishing net to allow under-sized fish an extra opportunity to escape. The effectiveness of the panel can be quantified by placing a small-mesh cover over the panel to catch all the fish that escape through it. This paper develops methodology for modelling the data from such covered panel experiments. The selection process is modelled in two stages: first, selection in the panel area, and second, conventional codend selection. Several different curves describing selection in the panel area are investigated. These include curves that separate the process of fish “contacting” the panel from the selection of the panel itself. Parameter estimation, inference, and methods for assessing goodness-of-fit are described. The methodology is illustrated using haddock and whiting data.