November 2018

The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction consists of Blue Water Fishermen’s Association, Duke University, Maine Lobstermen’s Association, New England Aquarium, and University of New Hampshire. Administered out of the New England Aquarium, the Consortium supports collaborative research between scientists and the fishing industry to identify practical bycatch reduction solutions for endangered species.

The Consortium’s  focus is in three primary areas: 

• Understanding interactions between threatened non-target species and fishing operations
• Research and development of bycatch reduction approaches
• Facilitating global exchange of information on bycatch reduction techniques

The Consortium’s underlying philosophy is that a science-industry partnership is the best way to identify effective and sustainable bycatch solutions. Further, its members recognize that change in fishing practices should be commercially viable, operationally practical, and use the best available science to evaluate the degree to which they will result in bycatch reduction benefits for non-target species. Equally important, even if a fishing technique is shown conclusively to reduce bycatch in a particular non-target species or population, it should not pose an increased threat to other endangered species or for that matter be unsustainable for marine biodiversity in general. In this respect the Consortium’s work program adheres to an ecosystem-based approach.

Most bycatch reduction techniques so far implemented around the world have been in commercial fisheries within developed countries, which have relatively strong regulatory and enforcement capacity, and that generally can absorb increased expenses or reduced revenue from regulated modifications to fishing methods.

For several years, the NEAq has been working with local fishermen, the Argentinian NGO AquaMarina, and the Argentine government on collaborative research program with fishermen in northern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The goal of this program is to identify practical fishing methods that reduce the unsustainable bycatch of the endangered Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in gillnets, while maintaining productive local fisheries. Bycatch of Franciscana dolphins in the artisanal gillnet fisheries of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil has been observed since at least the early 1940s, and is the primary conservation threat to this species throughout most of its range. Currently, the Franciscana dolphin is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and it is considered the cetacean most affected by human activities in the South Western Atlantic.

Major accomplishments to date from our collaborative research:

• Acoustic deterrents have shown to significantly reduce Franciscana bycatch in multiple trials while maintaining target catch
• Evaluations of fishing gear other than gillnets—handlines and pots—have demonstrated elimination of bycatch and economic potential for local fishermen
• Increasing the spacing of pingers can significantly reduce bycatch while also reducing the cost of fishermen to use them
• Franciscana dolphins do not appear to habituate to acoustic pingers when exposed to them over more than one year
• The use of acoustically reflective and stiffer nets does not appear to provide an effective option for preventing bycatch of Francisana

Progress Report on Pot Gear as an Alternative to Gillnets Summary Report from a Workshop on Reducing Bycatch of Franciscana Dolphin Tim Werner, Bycatch Consortium and ACCOL/NEAq; Pablo Bordino, Aquamarina, Argentina U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of International Affairs, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/international-affairs U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, https://www.mmc.gov/ Fishing Gear Modifications

Submitted by mcho on June 28, 2018 – 11:33

The Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, in collaboration with the Global Bycatch Exchange and the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, is pleased to announce the availability of funding to support capacity building in developing countries for reducing marine mammal bycatch. More information

Many species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are incidentally caught in pelagic longline fisheries. Sometimes shark bycatch exceeds the amount of target fish that is caught (e.g. tuna). 

An array of recent studies have shown that some species of sharks have an aversion resonse to certain electromagnetic metals, alloys, and strong magnets. This is a presumed result of an overstimulation of the sensitive electroreceptors present in elasmobranchs. Past and present studies sponsored by the Consortium have investigated several different metallic elements to evaluate their potential as reliable (i.e. consistent, practical) shark repellent devices for fishing gear.

Previous studies have examined the reactions of captive spiny piked dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and dusky smoothhound (a.k.a. smooth dogfish) (Mustelus canis) sharks to two metals – a lanthanide/cerium alloy (mischmetal) and a rare-earth magnet (neodymium-iron-boride). 

The data collected from these studies suggest that the repellent effects of each metal vary from one shark species to another. The spiny dogfish were more averse to the mischmetal, while the smooth dogfish were more deterred by the magnet. However, both species were more likey to ignore the repellents if they were hungry. Overall, electronic mischmetal would not be an effective and/or practical deterrent to interactions between fishing gears and these species. 

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) tested the efficacy of various lanthanide elements and their alloys as potential shark repellents. First, the metals were examined for output voltage (uVolts/gram), dissolution rate, machinability, and cost to determine which to use for furher testing. Based on these criteria, the lanthanide element, neodymium (Nd) was selected for use in behavioral trials with sharks.

The behavioral trials were conducted by FAU and NEAq on lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) and bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo). These species represent two families (Carcharhinidae and Sphyrnidae, respectively). At the same time, additional trials were conduced on the spiny dogfish and the smooth dogfish. Preliminary results suggest that Nd is effective for deterring individual bonnethead and smooth dogfish sharks and groups of spiny dogfish. However, it was an ineffective deterrent when presented to groups of lemon sharks, bonnethead sharks, and smooth dogfish.

Steve Kajiura, Florida Atlantic University John Mandelman, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium Fishing Gear Modifications

The Consortium supports collaborative research between science and the fishing industry to identify practical bycatch reduction solutions for endangered species.

Research and development of bycatch reduction devices.

Understanding interactions between non-target species and fishing operations

Reducing bycatch by changing policy

The University of North Carolina Wilmington conducted tests on common commercially available longline hooks to measure the force required to pull the hooks through the soft and hard tissues of short-finned pilot whales, Risso’s dolphins, and false killer whales. The researchers found that the different materials the hooks were made of influenced how they bent or broke when pulled through the odontocete tissue.

William McLellan, University of North Carolina Wilmington Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction Fishing Gear Modifications

The North Atlantic right whale, a species restricted to the coastal northwest Atlantic, numbers fewer than 440 individuals and has been declining since 2010 (Pace et al. 2017; Pettis et al. 2017). Entanglement in fishing gear, especially in fixed gear like pots and gillnets, is the leading cause of human-induced mortality and serious injury, occurring at a rate that is not sustainable for maintaining a viable population. Entanglement mortalities and serious injuries consistently exceed the regulatory limits of Potential Biological Removal rate set under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (presently set at 1 whale per year allowed to be taken by human activities; see NOAA’s 2016 Stock Assessment Report for North Atlantic right whales). In 2017, 17 North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) were found dead in the U.S. and Canada, compared with an annual average of 3.8 per year. As of October 16, 2018, there have been three dead right whales and one serious injury observed in 2018; one mortality and the serious injury were both entanglement related, another dead whale was too decomposed to perform a full necropsy; and the third showed markings consistent with entanglement injuries but a full investigation has not yet been performed. There have also been three entangled right whales with attached gear and one with severe entanglement injuries documented from July – Aug 2018. One was found in the Bay of Fundy and had last been seen without gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It was disentangled but its fate is uncertain. Two were entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, one is still entangled, with its fate unknown, and one apparently shed the gear but its baleen was damaged and its fate is also unknown. The right whale with severe injuries was a 2 year old seen in June in the Gulf of St. Lawrence without injuries and in July in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with injuries. As a result of this elevated mortality rate, NOAA Fisheries declared an Unusual Mortality Event for this species. Just as worrisome, the rate at which calves are being born has fallen to historic lows, with just five calves observed in 2017 and none in 2018. In short, to avert the near-term possibility of extinction of this species, we urgently need to eliminate the threat to these whales from entanglements in fishing ropes.

Also see Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau from the NARW Consortium Scott Kraus, Tim Werner, Amy Knowlton Partan and Ball 2016, Ropeless fishing technology development Baldwin et al. 2012, Taut vertical line and NARW flipper interaction Winn et al. 2008, Modeling whale entanglement injuries 2008 supplement to large whale gear summary DeAlteris 1999, Design testing and evaluation of an acoustic release system Fishery Animal Interactions

See global map of acoustic deterrent studies

Tim Werner, Bycatch Consortium and NEAq US National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of International Affairs US National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of International Affairs Fishing Gear Modifications