Sixth generation Dutch fisherman Louwe de Boer is part of a small group of pioneers abandoning traditional, wasteful methods and embracing innovation as a means of protecting their livelihoods.
"It is the only way to survive", says the 42-year-old entrepreneur.
He spent two million euros (about 2.8 million dollars) three years ago on new nets that slashed his bycatch -- animals caught unintentionally and discarded -- "to just a few percent".
Bycatch comprises more than half the yield of traditional trawler fishing, while De Boer's new, twin rig nets are also more gentle on the ecologically sensitive North Sea bed.
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