Given the potential environmental impacts, bottom trawls have been facing challenges of increasing restrictions, areas closures, and have even been baned in many areas of the world and Canadian fishing industries is not immune to these emerging trends. While the environmental impacts of trawling activities are normally difficult to investigate, the need to mitigate the impact of such bottom contact gear through innovative harvesting technology is advisable. The overall objective of our research is to design and evaluate various innovations in gear technology that could reduce seabed impact (i.e., contact area and/or mechanical stress on the seabed) compared to conventional bottow trawling systems. The approach will use a combination of numerical modelling and computer simulation of innovative trawl design concepts, physical modelling evaluations using the Marine Institute flume tank (Memorial University), and comparative fishing trials at sea.