Search The Database
| Location | Gear | Catch | Technique | Bycatch species | Type | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Torres and Passo de Torres, Brazil |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
Not specified |
Acoustic deterrent devices
|
Pontoporia blainvillei (Franciscana dolphin) | Field study in the wild | This study evaluated the effectiveness of using plastic drink bottles as low-cost acoustic reflectors to reduce franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) bycatch in bottom-set trammel nets and gillnets off of southern Brazil. The bottles achieved an 88% reduction in dolphin bycatch per unit effort compared to control nets. In addition, the bottles had no significant impact on commercial target species catch (by weight). 88% reduction in franciscana dolphin bycatch |
Menai Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
Large pelagic finfish (primarily Euthynnus affinis, Katsuwonus pelamis, Istiophorus platypterus, Makaira indica, Xiphias gladius, and Scomberomorus commerson) |
Acoustic deterrent devices
|
Tursiops aduncus (Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin) | Field study in the wild | The study tested the use of glass and plastic drink bottles as low-cost bycatch mitigation devices (mechanical pingers and acoustic reflectors, respectively) in gillnet fisheries across three regions/fisheries: surface-set driftnet fisheries in Zanzibar and Peru and bottom-set trammel net fisheries in Brazil. In Brazil, plastic bottles reduced dolphin bycatch while increasing fish catch, although further trials are needed. In Peru, glass bottles had no effect on dolphin, porpoise, or turtle bycatch but altered target elasmobranch and teleost catches; plastic bottles similarly had no effect on dolphin bycatch but increased shark catch. In Zanzibar, no dolphin bycatch was recorded in any sets, though plastic bottles increased tuna catch. |
Salaverry, Peru |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
Elasmobranchs, dolphinfish (Coryphaena sp.), billfish (Xiphias sp.), and bonito (Sarda sp.) |
Acoustic deterrent devices
|
Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Dusky dolphin), Phocoena spinipinnis (Burmeister's porpoise), Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose dolphin) | Field study in the wild | The study tested the use of glass and plastic drink bottles as low-cost bycatch mitigation devices (mechanical pingers and acoustic reflectors, respectively) in gillnet fisheries across three regions/fisheries: surface-set driftnet fisheries in Zanzibar and Peru and bottom-set trammel net fisheries in Brazil. In Brazil, plastic bottles reduced dolphin bycatch while increasing fish catch, although further trials are needed. In Peru, glass bottles had no effect on dolphin, porpoise, or turtle bycatch but altered target elasmobranch and teleost catches; plastic bottles similarly had no effect on dolphin bycatch but increased shark catch. In Zanzibar, no dolphin bycatch was recorded in any sets, though plastic bottles increased tuna catch. No significant difference between control and glass and control and plastic bottles |
Torres and Passo de Torres, Brazil |
Gillnets and Entangling Nets
|
Brazilian flounder (Paralichtys spp.) and whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) |
Acoustic deterrent devices
|
Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose dolphin), Pontoporia blainvillei (Franciscana dolphin) | Field study in the wild | The study tested the use of glass and plastic drink bottles as low-cost bycatch mitigation devices (mechanical pingers and acoustic reflectors, respectively) in gillnet fisheries across three regions/fisheries: surface-set driftnet fisheries in Zanzibar and Peru and bottom-set trammel net fisheries in Brazil. In Brazil, plastic bottles reduced dolphin bycatch while increasing fish catch, although further trials are needed. In Peru, glass bottles had no effect on dolphin, porpoise, or turtle bycatch but altered target elasmobranch and teleost catches; plastic bottles similarly had no effect on dolphin bycatch but increased shark catch. In Zanzibar, no dolphin bycatch was recorded in any sets, though plastic bottles increased tuna catch. No dolphins caught as bycatch in sets using plastic bottles, compared to four in the control (sample size too small to generate significance) |
Chioggia, Italy |
Traps
|
Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) |
Trap-net modification
|
Carcinus aestuarii (Mediterranean green crab) | Field study in the wild | This study tested the use of different types of fishing gears to compare their effectiveness in catching the invasive blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Northern Adriatic Sea. The tested gears included traditional fyke nets and four types of crab pots with either single or double chambers. Results indicated that both the double chamber pot and fyke nets were most effective gears overall in terms of catch efficiency and yield (catch per unit effort). However, the double chamber pot had significantly higher species selectivity, with lower bycatch of the native green crab (Carcinus aestuarii), as well as greater size selectivity (targeting larger adults). Double chamber trap had significantly less compared to fyke net |
Laboratory |
Traps
|
Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) |
Trap-net modification
|
Chionoecetes opilio (Snow crab) | Study in the lab | Understanding the behavior of snow crab in response to escape gaps is important as it may impact escape success, including the number of attempts, as well as time taken to escape successfully. The study filmed movements of snow crabs through different sized and shaped escape gaps in a laboratory setting and compared movement patterns with those of pot netting mesh. The results showed that escape success strongly depends on crab orientation, the time required to escape a trap can be reduced when using escape gaps, and escape gap design strongly influences size selectivity. In addition, escape probability decreases with crab size. Specifically, circular gaps can retain target-sized crabs while releasing undersized crabs, while elongated or wide gaps increase the risk that target-sized crabs escape. Additionally, side-by-side gaps r mesh can cause limb entanglement and delayed escape.
Circular escape gaps can retain target-sized crabs while releasing undersized individuals |