Efficacy of Time-Area Fishing Restrictions and Gear-Switching as Solutions for Reducing Seabird Bycatch in Gillnet Fisheries

O’Keefe, Catherine E.; Cadrin, Steven X.; Glemarec, Gildas; Rouxel, Yann

doi:10.1080/23308249.2021.1988051

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…Because water depth was an important predictor for bycatch, we propose that solutions focussing on water depth restrictions might be more promising to reduce the bycatch of both seabirds and marine mammals in this fishery [ 43 ]. Based on our simulations, imposing a type of spatial fishing closure by restricting the Icelandic lumpfish fishery to waters greater than 50 m deep would probably have important benefits for marine megafauna while incurring little to no costs in terms of target catch, a problem found with other mitigation options [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Rouxel,

Arnardóttir,

Oppel

2023

R. Soc. open sci.

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Bycatch in gillnets from lumpfish ( Cyclopterus lumpus ) fisheries is an important conservation issue in the north Atlantic, with up to 30 000 seabirds potentially killed each year. To date, no technical solutions exist to reduce the bycatch of seabirds in gillnet fisheries, but research on above-water bird deterrents as a form of bycatch mitigation has shown promising results. Here, we tested whether a floating device called ‘looming-eyes buoy’ (LEB) would consistently reduce the bycatch of seabirds in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery. We conducted 61 controlled trials with sets of normal gillnets and experimental nets equipped with LEBs. We compared both fish catch and bycatch between net types while accounting for exposure time, water depth and season, and found no effect of LEBs on both target lumpfish catch and bycatch. Our analysis indicated however a strong correlation between bycatch rates and fishing depths, suggesting that depth-based fishing restrictions could virtually eliminate the bycatch of seabirds in this fishery. We estimated that limiting fishing to waters more than 50 m deep could save between 5000 and 9300 seabirds every year, arrest the population decline of endangered black guillemots in Iceland, while having only a marginal effect on target fish catch.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Rouxel,

Arnardóttir,

Oppel

2023

R. Soc. open sci.

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“…These factors may help explain why they are currently underutilized in the policies we examined. As a way forward, a growing body of research is concerned with identifying static or dynamic inefficiency areas where non‐target catch is high and target catch is low, which can avoid or reduce bycatch without risking economic loss from foregone catch (Hazen et al, 2018; O'Keefe et al, 2021). Further analyses of tRFMO policy should seek to identify avoidance policies that can confer benefits to multiple taxonomic groups while minimizing harm to fishery yield.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy and transparency gaps for oceanic shark and rays in high seas tuna fisheries

et al. 2022

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The incidental capture by marine fisheries as bycatch poses a global threat to pelagic sharks and rays. In large, industrialized fisheries that often operate in areas beyond national jurisdiction, at least 22 threatened species of pelagic elasmobranchs are caught as bycatch, representing the majority of megafauna bycatch in tuna fisheries.Here, we investigate (1) the efficacy of the current policies of the five tuna-related Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (tRFMOs) in mitigating elasmobranch bycatch, (2) data needed to better assess the amount and impact of elasmobranch bycatch and (3) the research necessary for the adoption of new policies. We found that tRFMOs have adopted 34 active policies that address pelagic elasmobranch bycatch. However, most policies (~76%, n = 26) are unlikely to avoid or minimize elasmobranch bycatch. Instead, most policies focus on mitigating post-capture mortality via remediation and requiring or encouraging research and data collection. Despite the emphasis on research mandates, we find that the existence of research was not related to policy adoption, suggesting that lack of research has not historically prohibited policymaking. Overall, we suggest that current research and data transparency, though perhaps not necessary for policy adoption, are not sufficient to adequately evaluate the population-level impacts of bycatch on many elasmobranch species in tRFMO-managed fisheries. Given these results, we recommend a precautionary approach that involves reforms in tRFMO voting processes to facilitate the adoption of binding requirements for elasmobranch catch limits, bycatch avoidance, pre-and post-capture handling and release modifications and protection of areas important to threatened pelagic elasmobranchs.

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“…In most countries, the collection of bycatch data has been primarily opportunistic, whereas dedicated monitoring programs are needed to understand and eventually mitigate the bycatch problem. Alongside improved data collection, effective ways to mitigate seabird bycatch should be developed, starting from alternative fishing gear (O'Keefe et al 2021) and/or using technical mitigation measures (Field et al 2019.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabird bycatch in a Baltic coastal gillnet fishery is orders of magnitude larger than official reports

Morkūnas¹,

Oppel²,

Bružas³

et al. 2022

ACE

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Bycatch, or the incidental capture of non-target species in fisheries, has been identified as one of the major threats affecting seabird populations worldwide. In the Baltic Sea, a globally important area for wintering seabirds, bycatch in gillnets represents an important cause of human-induced mortality for seabird species whose populations have declined significantly in recent decades. Although countries are required by European law to report official bycatch data, a lack of data on bycatch in small-scale fisheries impedes an assessment of the contribution of bycatch to declines of seabird populations. This study presents data on the total seabird bycatch in the small-scale coastal fishery for an entire country, Lithuania, in the southeastern Baltic Sea, during the 2015-2020 winter period. An average of 19.3% of the total fishing effort in net-meter days (15.5% of fishing days) were observed each winter season, resulting in observations of 909 bycaught birds from 15 species. Two species composed two-thirds of the total bycatch, Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis; 42.1%) and Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca; 35.4%). Bycatch composition varied with depth, with the majority of bycatch occurring in nets set at depths ≤ 10 m. Adult males dominated the bycatch of benthivorous sea ducks, whereas adult females composed the majority of piscivorous birds caught. Low numbers of juveniles in the bycatch may indicate different wintering sites for young birds. We estimate that between 1500 and 3000 seabirds were bycaught annually in the Lithuanian small-scale coastal fishery in the 2015-2020 period. Because this number is orders of magnitude larger than the bycatch officially reported by the Lithuanian authorities (six birds), our study highlights deficiencies in the country's current bycatch reporting. In contrast to official statistics based on inadequate data, the unintended capture of seabirds in gillnets remains high, despite financial investments to minimize the impact of fisheries on biodiversity. Les captures accidentelles d'oiseaux aquatiques par la pêche côtière au filet maillant en mer Baltique sont nettement plus nombreuses que ne le disent les rapports officielsRÉSUMÉ. Les captures accidentelles d'espèces non ciblées par la pêche ont été identifiées comme l'une des menaces majeures pour les populations d'oiseaux aquatiques du monde entier. Dans la mer Baltique, une zone mondialement importante pour les oiseaux aquatiques migrateurs, les prises accidentelles dans des filets maillants représentent une cause importante de mortalité induite par l'homme pour les espèces d'oiseaux aquatiques dont les populations ont nettement décliné depuis plusieurs décennies. Même si les pays sont tenus par la loi européenne de rapporter les données officielles de prises accidentelles, un manque de données sur les captures accidentelles dans les petites pêcheries nuit à l'évaluation de la contribution de ces prises au déclin des populations d'oiseaux aquatiques. Cette étude présente les données concernant le total des captures accide...

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Efficacy of Time-Area Fishing Restrictions and Gear-Switching as Solutions for Reducing Seabird Bycatch in Gillnet Fisheries

Cited by 15 publications

References 104 publications

Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Looming-eyes buoys fail to reduce seabird bycatch in the Icelandic lumpfish fishery: depth-based fishing restrictions are an alternative

Policy and transparency gaps for oceanic shark and rays in high seas tuna fisheries

Seabird bycatch in a Baltic coastal gillnet fishery is orders of magnitude larger than official reports

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