As per the pre-scheduled programme, 4 nos. of fishing trawlers namely, Debapujya (Sona Type), M.V Talaban (Fishery Departmental Vessel), Debasabya (Sona Type) and M.V Crown (Fishery Departmental Vessel) started off the New Fishing Harbour at Paradip around 7.30 am with a view to conduct a series of experimental, comparative fishing operations with and without the attachment of TED. In each trawler, the representatives of all concerned parties i.e Government officials , TED experts of CIFT, CIFNET & FSI, wildlife scientists, media men, NGOs and above all the leaders of Trawl Owner Associations were present through out. While the crews operated the trawling, they were guided and supervised by the Scientists of CIFT for the simple reason that the CIFT model of TED was being experimented. The trawler owners who accompanied, not only were keen observes of the experiments so made, but also they at times suggested change in the methods of conducting the experiment itself. For instance, Sri Dillip Kumar Sahoo of Balasore Trawl Owners Association, who was on board M.V. Talaban suggested the second haul to be conducted without the attachment of the second cod end (escape bag ), since he suspected that the upturned position of the second cod end at the TED hole might cause the fishes that escaped through the TED hole, to return to the main cod end again, thereby artificially increasing the volume of the total catch in the main cod end and correspondingly decreasing the size of fish escape as deposited in the second cod end. As per the advice of Sri Sahoo, the escape bag( second cod end) was removed from the trawl net and the fishing experiment conducted only with TED.
A total of eight experimental hauls were conducted, two by each trawler. The trawling operations were conducted at an average depth of 15 fathom and at a distance of 12 to15 km of the coastline. Three trawlers conducted comparative fishing, each with and without attachment of TED. When they used TED, they also attached a second cod end (escape bag) to know whether and how much fish escaped along with the turtle through the TED hole. Only in case of the fourth trawler, TED was used in both hauls, though the escape bag was removed from net during the second haul with a view to measure the impact of the escape bag itself on the amount of fish catch as found in the main cod end and second cod end ( escape bag), as mentioned earlier.
After conducting the hauls the trawlers returned to the base at around 4.00 P.M Each experimental trawler was led by an Assistant Director of Fisheries, who also reported the detail results of the experimental fishing of their respective vessels separately in a Performa designed for the purpose.
Some participants who could not accompany the above mentioned 4 nos. of trawlers due to lack of space and timely arrival, boarded the Sona type trawler named 'Maa Janani' which had been using Trawl Guard quite over a period of time since the aftermath of Super Cyclone of October 1999, to see in their own eyes the functioning of this new device, which made of nylon ropes only, seemed to be an easy, cheap and thoroughly indigenous and fishermen friendly one. The team of Doordarshan, Bhubaneswar who were present in the Harbour at that time did also boarded the Maa Janani trawler in order to capture the live shots of the trawl guard in operation. They started off at around 9.30 am from New Fishing Harbour, Paradip and trawled at a depth of 9 fathom and at a distance of about 3 km off the coastline, which is a turtle congregation zone. They conducted a single haul of about half an hour duration, and reached back to the base at around 12.30 pm. The trawler owner Sri Rohit Kumar Behera who was present during the trawling operation along with his driver Sri Aniruddha Dalei were interviewed by the Doordarshan team about their opinion on the fishing results of Trawl Guard, and they expressed their satisfaction at the results so achieved. On returning to the New Fishing Harbour, the surveying team shared in detail their observations on the Trawl Guard with Sri Tarun Kumar Patnaik, President, Sri Har Mohan Khuntia, a senior member and other members of the Trawler Association, who were present in their Harbour office.
Sri Rakhal Shyam Mishra, ex-Deputy Secretary Fisheries, Orissa who was conversant with the new device but could not some how be present during the experimental fishing with Trawl Guard, submitted his observations on the same in course of his talk as a Guest of Honour on the Valedictory Day i.e.12th of Feb. 2002. Moreover, a separate paper dealing with emergence of Trawl Guard vis--vis the controversial TED, written by Sri Chitta Ranjan Behera, Advisor to Project Swarajya was circulated among the participants of the Workshop on the Valedictory Day.