In the reformed technical measures regulation, the European Union proposed a greater involvement of the fishing industry in the different managerial aspects of fisheries. However, having the industry as a main actor in gear development presents a new suite of challenges. The industry, while addressing an issue in the fishery, can modify several aspects of a fishing gear simultaneously, without considering that some of those changes might have opposing effects. Here we present a case study where a codend, with several modifications, was developed by the industry for the Baltic cod trawl demersal fishery. Our results, based on cumulative catch distribution, catch comparison, and usability indicators, showed that the industry can successfully develop gears with more suitable catch profiles than the one currently used. However, one modification to the codend, the increased circumference, had the opposite effect than expected by the industry, thus making it suboptimal. Having the industry as the main driver in the development of new fishing gears can facilitate the development of a larger number and more specialized technical solutions. However, an early and continuous involvement of scientists in the process is crucial, as it ensures that unnecessary and adverse modifications are not made to the gear.

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There are numerous examples from across Europe where collaborative science‐industry initiatives, which provide a bottom‐up approach to trawl gear development, have been successful in developing selective gears. For fishers, the collaborative approach creates a sense of ownership and control over the gears developed and often a greater desire for them to achieve their objectives. Despite the many benefits of collaborative initiatives, a lack of clarity and transparency, incorrect incentives, unclear communication, and distrust or diverging perceptions can inhibit their performance. The present review examines the different collaborative approaches to fishing gear development that have been established within Europe, highlighting their salient features, comparing their objectives, and discussing the types and effectiveness of the incentives offered. Also examined is how the reform of the European Union's (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), together with the proposed reform of the technical measures framework, can potentially improve the flexibility in the technical regulations and allow for such initiatives to be a central part in improving the state of fish stocks throughout the EU. Finally, a framework is proposed on how initiatives pertaining to industry‐led fishing gear development might look like under the reformed CFP.

There is general pressure throughout the world’s fisheries for the industry to have greater involvement not only in the development of fishing gears but also in the testing and documentation of their effect. In the European Union, the Common Fisheries Policy of 2013, together with the proposed reform of the technical measures regulation, highlights the need for greater flexibility in fisheries through increased stakeholder involvement. To achieve this flexibility, there is a need for additional fishing gears available to the fishermen. A way to facilitate this is to have the industry take part in the development and testing of fishing gears, as well as collect data on their performance. However, to have a successful industry-collected data programme, fishermen have to be able to collect data on the length of a portion of the catch. In this study, we determine how many individuals need to be measured to correctly evaluate the relative selective performance of a new gear compared to a standard gear. The evaluation was carried out by analysing catch ratio curves, their associated uncertainties, and the trade-offs between uncertainties and sampling effort. Results show that with relatively small sample sizes (500 to 1000 individuals) it is possible to correctly evaluate the performance of a gear for a given species. By having the industry develop and test their own gears, as well as being involved in the collection of data, the number of potential gear solutions available to address the different issues emerging in the fisheries is increased.

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