maximios

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Evaluation of Blue Water Concept’s gear Report to the New England Aquarium under NOAA Grant #NA06NMF4520120 tot eh Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH USA

This supplement to a 2002 compendium of NOAA large whale entanglement prevention research has newer studies, including investigation of SAM gillnet gear, gillnet weak links and anchoring systems, evaluation of gillnet weak links, and a pilot study of options for reducing vertical line entanglements.

A square mesh/extended funnel bycatch reduction device (BRD) tested in the bottom trawl shrimp fishery in the Gulf of California decreased bycatch by 40% when compared to control trawls. On average, the BRD excluded 37% of finfish species, including the endangered Totoaba macdonaldi, but it also reduced shrimp catch by approximately 7%.

An underwater setting funnel, used in conjunction with a bird-scaring line, reduced bycatch of albatross and petrel seabirds in the demersal longline fishery for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) off of the sub-Antarctic South African Prince Edward Islands. Although fish rates were not compared between sets with and without the funnel, it is predicted fish catch […]

11 pp. (Article #: 106919) Illuminated nets were tested to evaluate their effect on catch and bycatch in set nets, principally green and loggerhead sea turtles, in northern Cyprus. Reductions in the catch of sea turtle and non-target sharks and rays were recorded with no effect on target catch. Data were collected from 130 field […]

This paper suggests guidelines for evaluating artificial light in bycatch reduction devices (BRL) using a standardized, collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. The purpose is to improve data consistence to support future meta-analyses and inter-study comparisons, and to highlight areas where further research is needed most urgently, as BRLs are a promising and rapidly moving area of bycatch […]

The authors performed modeling on 10 years of logbook data to analyze environmental and operational factors that influence shark and odontocete depredation in the New Caledonian longline tuna fishery. Results suggest that there are “hotspots” of odontocete depredation, and that it is driven by environmental factors such as sea surface temperature and bathymetry, while shark […]

We are seeking proposals to develop a 3/8” diameter endline with 1700lb virgin breaking strength that is comparable to those currently used in northwest Atlantic lobster pot fisheries. The concept is to use a rope that is practical for many pot fisheries while facilitating escape should whales come into contact with them. Innovative “whale-release” ropes […]

The United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization convened experts, including Consortium scientists, to produce technical guidelines on how to best prevent and mitigate marine mammal bycatch in fisheries. The draft report was reviewed and adopted by participants at the FAO “Expert meeting on the development of technical guidelines to reduce bycatch of marine mammals in […]

Pingers do not reduce bycatch of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the salmon and sturgeon gillnet fisheries in northern Washington state but do reduce bycatch of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Pingers did not affect catch of target species, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and sturgeon (Acipenser sp.).

Modifications to fishing gear can significantly mitigate bycatch without reducing a fishermen’s target catch.  To read about more examples of gear modifications search the Bycatch Reduction Technique Database.  The Consortium works with scientists and fishermen to test gear modifications that have the potential to reduce bycatch, while maintaining target catch, minimizing cost, and preserving fishermen’s […]

Bottom set gillnets with pingers (LU-1, 8 signals, 145 dB, 300 ms, random signal intervals) attached were tested against standard nets and nets with dummy pingers (double blind) to determine if they could reduce the incidental capture of harbour porpoises. The proportion (number of nets with porpoises/number without) of harbour porpoise bycatch was reduced from […]

An experimental leader design was tested on pound nets in the Chesapeake Bay in 2004 and 2005 to determine their effectiveness in reducing the incidental catches of sea turtles.  The experimental design consisted of replacing the top two thirds of the traditional mesh panel leader with vertical ropes spaced 61 cm apart. During the study, […]

A quantification of interactions between cetaceans and fishers was conducted in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A large database of captains logbooks, 1980-2011, was analyzed along with scientific observer observations recorded between 1995 and 2011. The main areas of high co-occurrence between cetaceans and fisheries was shown to exist east of the Seychelles from December […]