Search The Database
| Location | Gear | Catch | Technique | Bycatch species | Type | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baja California Sur, Mexico |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
yellowtail amberjack (Seriola dorsalis) |
Visual deterrents
|
Sea Turtles | Field study in the wild | Solar powered LED lights flashing at a 10% duty cycle (5Hz, 20 min on, 180 mins off) attached to gillnets resulted in a 63% reduction in predicted mean sea turtle bycatch rates. This falls within the range found in previous studies that looked at static lights (40-90% reduction in bycatch), suggesting sea turtle bycatch can be reduced with less power consumption. 63% reduction in predicted mean sea turtle bycatch rates |
Northern Levant Sea, Türkiye |
Trawls
|
Shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus) |
Excluder devices
|
Bony Fishes, Elasmobranchs, Sea Turtles | Field study in the wild | 40 trial tows investigated the potential of excluder grids in mitigating bycatch in trawl fisheries in the Northern Levant Sea. Tested gear configurations included a flexible grid with 50mm bar spacing and a rigid grid with 95mm spacing within the trawl extension. The excluder grids significantly reduced bycatch of several elasmobranch species including the velvet-belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) and the blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus), as well as some species of bony fish. Sea turtle bycatch also appeared to be reduced although in general, sea turtle bycatch during the trials was low (two individuals in the control gear). However, catch performance of target shrimp species (Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus) were also reduced in the gear equipped with BRDs, indicating a trade-off.
Etmopterus spinax - 50 mm grid - bycatch reduced by 45.3%; Galeus melastomus - 50 mm grid - bycatch reduced by 68.8%; Saurida lessepsianus - 95mm grid, bycatch reduced by 86.1%; Upeneus moluccensis - 95 mm grid, bycatch reduced by 28.4% |
Karachi, Pakistan |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
Tuna spp. |
Sub-surface sets (gillnets)
|
Small Cetaceans (maximum length < 7.5 meters), Sea Turtles | Field study in the wild | The study examined individual and cumulative bycatch during the first five years of a fisher engagement program in the tuna drift gillnet fishery in Pakistan, where fishers co-developed a sub-surface net setting strategy while also receiving bycatch awareness and safe release training. Captain identity and year were the strongest predictors of sea turtle and dolphin bycatch rates. 95% reduction in cumulative dolphin bycatch over four years; 90% reduction in cumulative sea turtle bycatch |
Eastern Pacific Ocean (Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica fisheries) |
Hooks and Lines
|
Mahi -mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), tunas, billfishes and sharks |
Circle hooks
|
Sea Turtles, Chelonia mydas (Green sea turtle), Lepidochelys olivacea (Olive (Pacific) ridley sea turtle) | Field study in the wild | An analysis of the performance of circle hooks in comparison to J-style and tuna hooks on the hooking rates of target and non-target species, specifically sea turtles, in the artisanal surface longline fisheries of Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica was performed. The target fisheries were mahi-mahi and a combination of tunas, billfishes, and sharks (TBS). In the TBS fishery, tuna hooks were compared to 16/0 circle hooks from Ecuador and Panama and 18/0 circle hooks from Costa Rica. For the mahi-mahi fishery, 14/0 and 15/0 circle hooks in Ecuador and 16/0 circle hooks in Costa Rica were compared to traditional J-style hooks. Circle hooks reduced sea turtle hooking rates in most of the comparisons. Hooking rates for target and non-target species were not consistent. Reduced hooking rates in most comparisons |
Hawaii, United States |
Hooks and Lines
|
Swordfish, tuna |
Deep sets
|
Sea Turtles, Caretta caretta (Loggerhead turtle), Demochelys coriacea (Leatherback sea turtle) | Field study in the wild | Fishing experiments were designed to test various gear modifications for the pelagic longline fishery in Hawaii, United States, to reduce sea turtle interactions. The experiments tested (1) daytime "stealth gear" (2) deep daytime setting, and (3) circle hooks combined with hook timers. Stealth gear and deep setting both caught significantly fewer swordfish compared to the control, although overall catch was reduced by 39% using stealth gear and was approximately similar to the control using deep setting. Neither gear configuration resulted in the take of any sea turtles (compared to one turtle in the control). Initial testing of hook timers with circle hooks resulted in the catch of two sea turtles. Circle hooks were also 40% as effective as J hooks at catching swordfish, and 94% as effective at catching tuna (by weight and value). Low capture rates in both control and treatment |
Hawaii, United States |
Hooks and Lines
|
Swordfish, tuna |
Circle hooks
|
Sea Turtles, Caretta caretta (Loggerhead turtle), Demochelys coriacea (Leatherback sea turtle) | Field study in the wild | Fishing experiments were designed to test various gear modifications for the pelagic longline fishery in Hawaii, United States, to reduce sea turtle interactions. The experiments tested (1) daytime "stealth gear" (2) deep daytime setting, and (3) circle hooks combined with hook timers. Stealth gear and deep setting both caught significantly fewer swordfish compared to the control, although overall catch was reduced by 39% using stealth gear and was approximately similar to the control using deep setting. Neither gear configuration resulted in the take of any sea turtles (compared to one turtle in the control). Initial testing of hook timers with circle hooks resulted in the catch of two sea turtles. Circle hooks were also 40% as effective as J hooks at catching swordfish, and 94% as effective at catching tuna (by weight and value). Low capture rates in both control and treatment |