Trawler fishermen in India cannot depend on shrimp and associated species alone for viable commercial operations any more, and there is need to adopt responsible alternate trawl systems for harvesting large demersal and semi-pelagic species.  CIFT semi-pelagic trawl system, christened as CIFT SPTS was developed as an alternative to shrimp trawling in the small-scale mechanized trawler sector, after extensive field-testing. It is capable of attaining catch rates beyond 200 kg h-1 in moderately productive grounds and selectively harvest fast swimming demersal and semi-pelagic finfishes and cephalopods, which are generally beyond the reach of conventional bottom trawls, currently used in commercial trawl fisheries in India. CIFT SPTS has been developed and perfected after extensive field trials and observations, using acoustic gear monitoring instrumentation and inference from statistical evaluation of catch, over an extended period.