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Book (series)Report of the Expert Meeting to Develop Technical Guidelines to Reduce Bycatch of Marine Mammals in Capture Fisheries. Rome, Italy, 17–19 September 2019 2020
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No results found.The Expert Meeting to “Develop Technical guidelines to reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries” was held in Rome, Italy, on 17-19 September 2019. Twenty-nine fisheries and bycatch experts and observers from FAO Members participated in the meeting: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States of America. The meeting was also attended by experts from various regional and international organizations. The meeting aimed to prepare “Technical guidelines to reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries” that are directed at decision-makers, planners, managers, and all those involved in developing and implementing policy and technical interventions relevant to the bycatch of marine mammals in fisheries. The meeting was organized by FAO in response to the request from the Committee on Fisheries at its 33rd session in 2018 to develop technical guidelines on this subject. At the meeting the experts reviewed and discussed technical measures that can be applied for the reduction of bycatch of marine mammals in fisheries, including: time-area closures, acoustic deterrents, modifications to fishing gears and changes in fishing operations. -
Book (stand-alone)Report of the Expert Workshop on Means and Methods for Reducing Marine Mammal Mortality in Fishing and Aquaculture Operations, Rome, Italy, 20-23 March 2018 2018
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No results found.One of the greatest threats to species and population survival of marine mammals with their relatively slow growth and low fecundity comes from inadvertent interaction with, or capture in, fishing and aquaculture operations. FAO members have expressed great concern about bycatch of marine mammals at recent sessions of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI). At its Thirty-First Session in 2014 the Committee reiterated its support for FAO’s ongoing work on bycatch management and reduction of discards, and requested FAO to expand its efforts to effectively implement the International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards, addressing all fishing gears where bycatch, including, inter alia, that of marine mammals, and discards were a problem. At its Thirty-Second Session in 2016, the committee welcomed the offer of the United States of America to fund an expert workshop to review the findings of recent international marine mammal bycatch workshops. Within this context, FAO convened the Expert Workshop on Means and Methods for Reducing Marine Mammal Mortality in Fishing and Aquaculture Operations in Rome, Italy from 20 to 23 March 2018, which was attended by twenty-seven experts in marine mammal science and bycatch mitigation. The workshop reviewed the current state of knowledge on the issue of marine mammal bycatch, and evaluated the efficacy of different strategies and measures for mitigating bycatch and their implementation. The workshop produced some key technical outputs, including an extensive review of techniques across different gear types and species, together with a summary table and a draft decision-making tool (decision tree) which could be used to support management decision-making processes. The workshop recommended that FAO develop Technical Guidelines on means and methods for prevention and reduction of marine mammal bycatch and mortality in fishing and aquaculture operations in support of FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and as a supplement to International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards. The workshop also recommended that FAO consider establishing a global capacity development programme to support developing States in the application of the proposed guidelines. -
Book (series)Bycatch in longline fisheries for tuna and tuna-like species: a global review of status and mitigation measures 2014
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No results found.This publication is the third in a series on bycatch in global tuna fisheries. Dealing with longline fisheries, its scope is defined taxonomically to comprise only non-tuna and non-tuna-like species. The history of longline fishing illustrates the role of new technologies, the expansion of fishing grounds, and the operational characteristics of the fleets in shaping today’s fishery. More recently, management regulations, the price of oil, the cost of labour, and market demand have also exerted a n influence. No more than 23 percent of the tuna in each ocean is longline-caught. However, there may be up to 7 500 tuna longliners globally with almost 60 percent of them less than 24 m in length. Available data suggest that elasmobranch catches have fallen 14 percent since their peak in 2003. In longline fisheries, shark catch rates may be determined by bait type, soak time, hook shape, leader length and material, depth at which the hook is fished, and whether special gear is deployed to targ et sharks. Vulnerability to hooking, and resilience to haulback and handling, vary by species, size, area and fleet operational practices. Tuna regional fisheries management organizations (t-RFMOs) assess the status of shark populations but data limitations often hinder firm conclusions. There is little information on the implementation or effectiveness of finning bans and no-retention measures. Mitigation measures have been tested but results vary. Six of the seven species of sea turtles are th reatened with extinction, and while longline fisheries may have less impact than net-based fisheries, significant populationlevel impacts may be occurring in some regions. The greatest concern is associated with loggerhead–longline interactions in the Atlantic. Circle hooks and using finfish bait have proved effective mitigation techniques either by reducing hooking or hook swallowing. Other methods require further development. Interactions with pelagic longline fisheries kill 50 000–100 000 sea birds annually. Many of these species, particularly albatrosses, are threatened with extinction. Recent advances in tracking technologies have facilitated mapping of where interactions are most likely. The Western and Central Pacific contains more than 45 percent of the global total albatross and giant petrel breeding distributions. The most promising mitigation methods appear to be night setting, side-setting, line weighting and streamer lines, but further research is needed. All five t-RFMOs r equire use of one or more of these methods in areas that overlap albatross distributions. However, compliance data are limited and improved observer coverage is essential. Marine mammals’ interactions with longline fisheries are detrimental to the fishery but may be positive or negative for the mammals. Although it is often unclear which species are involved, pilot whale interactions in the western Atlantic and false killer whale interactions off Hawaii have triggered national mitigation plans. No t-RFMO has adopted management measures for marine mammal interactions. Research and testing of mitigation measures continue in order to ameliorate both marine mammal impacts and economic losses to industry from depredation. At least 650 species of other bony fishes may be caught in association with pelagic longline fisheries, e.g. dolphinfish, opah, oilfish, escolar and ocean sunfish. Some of these stocks are important as local food supplies. However, it is unclear whether these stocks or the ecosystem they help structure is at risk. More attention should focus on improving fishery statistics and initiating basic monitoring of these stocks’ status. The diversity of pelagic longline gear designs and fishing methods, the variety of habitats they are deployed in, the thousands of marine species they may interact with, v and the different mechanisms and behaviours that govern those interactions provide an array of topics to be addressed in any discussion of bycatch mitigation. Scientifi c and technical issues in mitigation including effects across taxa, effects of combinations of measures, economic and safety considerations, underlying biological mechanisms, handling and post-release mortality, and non-fishery impacts must all be addressed. In addition, it is also necessary to consider issues such as who takes the lead for ensuring mitigation is sufficient for the population as a whole, how to devise effective mitigation implementation strategies, and whether gear modification should be used in concert with more sweeping measures.
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