maximios

The study tested the use of a modified turtle exluder device (TED) – using substantially reduced grill spacing – in order to reduce elasmobranch bycatch in the Guyanese seabob shrimp fishery. The use of the modified TED resulted in a significant reduction (by 40%) of the bycatch rate of elasmobranchs. The TED also was highly […]

New bycatch report out by US GAO Please see this report documenting shortcomings of US management of bycatch in US fisheries:  https://www.nationalfisherman.com/agency-critics-slam-federal-oversight-of-bycatch?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=NzU2LUZXSi0wNjEAAAGUpBizCN08RJua4NeqEe-OGtQnQwRk-G5LfouY8N1L61BJHL5X7t9tfGUoEvKDAkj5QjcpoiCX2uL3bNCTLlsNI8aW1IxwHTx7YGLnLPj2UMsc2Bu8vg

Odontocete (i.e. toothed whale) interaction with longline fisheries is a global phenomenon that threatens the status of some populations and the economic viability of longline fisheries. This review paper summarizes the trend and geographical extent of interactions, the potential impact on odontocetes and fisheries, and describes potential acoustic and physical mitigation solutions. 

Cory’s shearwater, Calonectris diomedea, is the main seabird species incidentally caught by the Spanish longline fleet in the western Mediterranean Sea. The authors used onboard observer data to model the longline bycatch of Cory’s shearwaters as a function of time of the year, technical characteristics of the fishing operation, and geographical location. The most explanatory […]

Two types of longline sets, night and day, were evaluated for differences in catch composition in Seychelles waters.  Night sets were set at dusk and retrieved at dawn and used shallow baskets targeting swordfish, while day sets were set at dawn and retrieved at dusk and used shallow and deep baskets to target tuna.  The […]

The annual counts of large whale entanglements (including serious injury and mortalities) were analyzed and used to assess the effectiveness of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Fishing gear entanglements related to the annual number of mortality events averaged 2.5 for right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), 5.6 for humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), 0.6 for fin whales […]

This paper is a global assessment of marine mammal (cetacean, pinniped, sirenian, and marine mustelids) bycatch in gillnets and other entangling nets from 1990 to 2011. The authors found that at least 75% of odontocete species, 64% of mysticetes, 66% of pinnipeds, and all sirenian and marine mustelids have been recorded as gillnet bycatch over […]

Entanglement of large baleen whales, including the right (Eubalaena glacialis), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sei (Balaenoptera borealis), Bryde’s (Balaenoptera brydei), minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) in fixed fishing gear (e.g. pot and gillnet) is a frequent occurrence along the east coast of the United States and Canada. For right and humpback whales, which have detailed […]

Consortium Director Tim Werner was one of the lead contributors to the “Guidelines to prevent and reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries”, recently published by the FAO. The technical guidelines can be accessed via this link:  http://www.fao.org/3/cb2887en/cb2887en.pdf. This document received the input of many experts in marine mammal bycatch reduction and fisheries, who provided their expertise during […]

Experiments on the use of sea bird mitigation methods were conducted aboard Uruguayan pelagic longliners between 2010 and 2012. Experiments looked at the difference between setting bait at the sea surface and setting baits underwater. The researchers recorded the abundance of sea birds following the vessel and incidences of attacks on bait and mortality. When […]

A field test was conducted to test whether harbor porpoises habitutate to pingers over time. Echolocation and movements were monitored around a mooring equipped with a pinger (Dukane Netmark 1000) for 3 months. Initial displacement was 208 m from the pinger, but it diminished by 50% within 4 days. Echolocation rate and occurrence were significantly […]

The extended mesh funnel (EMF) and Florida fisheye (FFE) bycatch reduction devices (BRD) were evaluated in otter trawls with three different sized openings (circumference = 14 m, 17 m, and 20 m). The mean ratio of finfish bycatch to shrimp in nets equipped with BRD’s was substantially lower but not significantly different than the ratios […]

At sea trials were conducted comparing the catch composition and weight of standard Nephrops scraper trawls and a new trawl termed the Flip Flap netting Grid trawl (FFG).  The FFG includes a 160 mm mesh size netting in the top wing and top sheet netting panels, flip-flap netting grid, and fish outlet hole and 200 […]

The addition of a filter grid (inclined at ca. 20 degrees) that leads to an escape tunnel in trawl nets allowed 100% of rays and turtles to escape, 75% of manta rays, 40% of billfish and between 20-75% of sharks to escape.