Estimating collateral mortality from towed fishing gear

More than 50% of the world's total marine catch (approximately 81 million tonnes) is harvested using towed fishing gears (i.e. Danish seines, dredges and otter and beam trawls). As for all methods, the total fishing mortality of these gears comprises the reported (landed) and unreported catch and other unaccounted, collateral deaths due to (i) avoiding, (ii) escaping, (iii) dropping out of the gear during fishing, (iv) discarding from the vessel, (v) ghost fishing of lost gear, (vi) habitat destruction or subsequent (vii) predation and (viii) infection from any of the above. The inherent poor selectivity of many towed gears, combined with their broad spatial deployment, means that there is considerable potential for cumulative effects of (i)–(viii) listed above on total fishing mortality, and subsequent wide‐scale negative impacts on stocks of important species. In this paper, we develop a strategy for minimizing this unwanted exploitation by reviewing all the primary literature studies that have estimated collateral, unaccounted fishing mortalities and identifying the key causal factors. We located more than 80 relevant published studies (between 1890 and early 2006) that quantified the mortalities of more than 120 species of escaping (26 papers) or discarded (62 papers) bivalves, cephalopods, crustaceans, echinoderms, elasmobranches, reptiles, teleosts and miscellaneous organisms. Seven of these studies also included the estimates of mortalities caused by dropping out of gears, predation and infection [(iii), (vii) and (viii) listed above]. Owing to several key biological (physiology, size and catch volume and composition), environmental (temperature, hypoxia, sea state and availability of light) and technical (gear design, tow duration and speed) factors, catch‐and‐escape or catch‐and‐discarding mechanisms were identified to evoke cumulative negative effects on the health of most organisms. We propose that because the mortalities of discards typically are much greater than escapees, the primary focus of efforts to mitigate unaccounted fishing mortalities should concentrate on the rapid, passive, size and species selection of non‐target organisms from the anterior sections of towed gears during fishing. Once maximum selection has been achieved and demonstrated to cause few mortalities, efforts should be made to modify other operational and/or post‐capture handling procedures that address the key causal factors listed above.     

A review of ghost fishing: scientific approaches to evaluation and solutions

ABSTRACT:   Research on ghost fishing became active in the late 1980s. Ghost fishing has been confirmed for traps, gillnets, trammel-nets and small seine nets. Some lost traps are functional for a long period of time, even in shallow waters. Consequences for gillnets after loss depend on seabed conditions. The ghost fishing function of gillnets remaining on flat seabeds declines rapidly with decreasing heights and increasing visibility. Gillnets left tangled around an artificial reef, for example, three-dimensionally maintain the initial magnitude of ghost fishing for a long period of time, even after badly fouled. There are increasing numbers of researches working on the total number of mortality per gear after gear loss for gillnets and trammel-nets. It has become also possible to estimate the total number of mortality for a unit period of time in a certain fishing sector. This paper reviews research which has provided evidence and quantitative data on ghost fishing, and proposes five items important for future studies on ghost fishing.     

福建省内陆捕捞渔具的作业类型及其数量组成分析

本文根据2009年8月至12月福建省捕捞业渔具渔法普查资料,分析整理了福建内陆地区捕捞业渔具渔法现状调查数据.结果表明:福建内陆地区捕捞渔具有刺网类、钓具类、笼壶类、拖网类、张网类、陷阱类、耙刺类、地拉网类、敷网类、掩罩类、抄网类和杂渔具等12个类别、21种作业型式、渔具总数量123204张(个、顶等).按渔具类别划分...     

幽灵捕捞的现状分析与国内外研究进展

废弃渔具(ALDFG)像幽灵一样长期在海洋中飘荡,导致一些海洋生物被网具缠绕而死,对渔业资源造成持续危害,形成“幽灵捕捞”现象。废弃渔具类型主要包括陷阱、刺网、拖网等。通过探讨造成幽灵捕捞的原因,总结了幽灵捕捞的现状和国内外研究进展;针对容易形成幽灵捕捞的渔具种类,介绍了ALDFG的结构与捕捞作业机理,阐述了陷阱、刺网、拖网等的幽灵捕捞过程,并对各种渔具造成的幽灵捕捞的影响进行了评估。最后总结目前对幽灵捕捞渔具的预防和应对措施,提出了减少幽灵捕捞的方法和建议。     

Influences of gear type and analytical methodology on fish assemblage characterisations in temperate lakes

A variety of gears and analytical methods can be used to characterise lentic fish assemblages; however, the combined influence of gear type and analysis can affect conclusions about assemblage patterns. Fish assemblages sampled with night electric fishing, gillnets and trapnets from 153 lakes were evaluated using summary indices of species composition, pairwise community similarity comparisons and multivariate ordination. For a given amount of effort, electric fishing had the highest species richness, while gillnets had higher diversity and evenness. Pairwise comparisons between gears revealed that (1) richness was positively correlated among all gears, (2) diversity and evenness were generally not correlated across gears and (3) electric fishing and trapnets captured more similar species than all other pairwise comparisons. Gear‐specific multivariate correlation and ordination revealed that gillnet and electric fishing samples more similarly characterised variation in assemblages among lakes, while trapnets characterised assemblages along different gradients of species composition. These results indicate that either electric fishing or trapnetting can be used when assessing shallow‐water assemblages for diversity or evenness, gillnets and either electric fishing or trapnets should be used for whole‐lake assessments, and either gillnets or electric fishing should be used when evaluating regionwide variation in lake assemblages.     

When large marine predators feed on fisheries catches: Global patterns of the depredation conflict and directions for coexistence

The sustainable mitigation of human–wildlife conflicts has become a major societal and environmental challenge globally. Among these conflicts, large marine predators feeding on fisheries catches, a behaviour termed “depredation,” has emerged concomitantly with the expansion of the world’s fisheries. Depredation poses threats to both the socio‐economic viability of fisheries and species conservation, stressing the need for mitigation. This review synthesizes the extent and socio‐ecological impacts of depredation by sharks and marine mammals across the world, and the various approaches used to minimize it. Depredation was reported in 214 fisheries between 1979 and 2019 (70% post‐2000) and affected fleets from 44 countries, in all sectors (commercial, artisanal and recreational), and in all major fishing techniques (nets, traps and hook‐and‐lines). A total of 68 predator species were involved in depredation (20 odontocetes, 21 pinnipeds and 27 sharks), and most (73%) were subject to either by‐catch and/or retaliatory killing from fishers when interacting with gear. Impacts on fishers were primarily associated with catch losses and gear damage but often lacked assessments. Deterrence was a major mitigation approach but also the least effective. Gear modifications or behavioural adaptation by fishers were more promising. This review highlights the need for improved monitoring, and interdisciplinary and integrated research to quantify the determinants and impacts of depredation in the socio‐ecological dimension. More importantly, as the conflict is likely to escalate, efforts directed towards changing perceptions and integrating knowledge through adaptive co‐management are raised as key directions towards coexistence between fisheries and large marine predators.     

Drones detect illegal and derelict crab traps in a shallow water estuary

The issues surrounding illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and that of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gears, leading to ghost fishing, are intensifying. Estuarine crab trapping is likely subject to high levels of illegal and potential ghost fishing, because it also has good economic incentives regarding potential catch, low gear acquisition costs and accessible fishing grounds. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance operations, the efficacy of small consumer‐grade drones for sighting traps in an estuary in NSW, Australia, was tested. Twelve sets of two flights were undertaken at 20 and 30 m altitude over a 600‐m stretch of estuary for 5 days to quantify the detectability of submerged mesh traps of three different mesh colours. The drone was able to detect the majority of traps efficiently, with depth in relation to water clarity being the main factor affecting detection. In shallow water, detection rates were high for all mesh colours, but in the slightly deeper placements, orange traps were more readily detected. This study demonstrates that drones could be an efficient and reliable tool for rapidly assessing areas for illegal and derelict traps and can be supplemented into land or vessel‐based fisheries operations.     

Keeping watch on the unwatchable: technological solutions for the problems generated by ecosystem-based management

Ecosystem‐based management is an emerging paradigm influencing the management of commercial fisheries. Increasingly, developed nations are adopting explicit legislation and policy governing the assessment and management of their fisheries against criteria of ecological sustainability. Yet the ability to evaluate ecosystem impacts of fisheries is compromised by a general lack of understanding of marine ecosystem function (beyond the population level) and a lack of robust and practical indicators for ecosystem health and management. Recent technological advances can assist in developing criteria, including structural analyses of seafloor communities potentially impacted by fishing gears (e.g. demersal trawling). Similarly, advances in fishing gear technology, including improved selectivity and the development of gears which have a more benign environmental impact, can mitigate some of the ecological impacts of fishing. Such technological advances are summarized in the context of contemporary fisheries management.     

Response of benthic fauna to experimental bottom fishing: A global meta‐analysis

Bottom‐contact fishing gears are globally the most widespread anthropogenic sources of direct disturbance to the seabed and associated biota. Managing these fishing disturbances requires quantification of gear impacts on biota and the rate of recovery following disturbance. We undertook a systematic review and meta‐analysis of 122 experiments on the effects‐of‐bottom fishing to quantify the removal of benthos in the path of the fishing gear and to estimate rates of recovery following disturbance. A gear pass reduced benthic invertebrate abundance by 26% and species richness by 19%. The effect was strongly gear‐specific, with gears that penetrate deeper into the sediment having a significantly larger impact than those that penetrate less. Sediment composition (% mud and presence of biogenic habitat) and the history of fishing disturbance prior to an experimental fishing event were also important predictors of depletion, with communities in areas that were not previously fished, predominantly muddy or biogenic habitats being more strongly affected by fishing. Sessile and low mobility biota with longer life‐spans such as sponges, soft corals and bivalves took much longer to recover after fishing (>3 year) than mobile biota with shorter life‐spans such as polychaetes and malacostracans (<1 year). This meta‐analysis provides insights into the dynamics of recovery. Our estimates of depletion along with estimates of recovery rates and large‐scale, high‐resolution maps of fishing frequency and habitat will support more rigorous assessment of the environmental impacts of bottom‐contact gears, thus supporting better informed choices in trade‐offs between environmental impacts and fish production.     

Cumulative impacts of fisheries in the California Current

Ecosystem‐based fisheries management calls for the consideration of the indirect and cumulative effects of fishing, in addition to estimating direct fishing mortality. Here, we quantify such effects of fishing fleets, and their interactions, using a spatially explicit Atlantis simulation model of the food web and fisheries in the California Current. Simulations testing the effects of single fleets suggested that bottom trawl, fixed gear, and hake (Merluccius productus) trawl primarily have direct impacts on their target and bycatch species. Few indirect effects from these three fleets extended through predator–prey links to other parts of the food web. In contrast, effects of the purse seine fleet extended beyond the three groups it harvested, strongly altering the abundance of predators, planktonic prey, and benthos. In terms of nine ecosystem attributes, our experiments involving single fleets identified six fleets that caused the bulk of negative impacts. Specific fleets impacted different aspects of the ecosystem, for instance with groundfish gears causing reductions in piscivore abundance, and hake trawl and purse seine increasing krill through reducing abundance of planktivores. In terms of interactions among fleets' effects, the vast majority of effects were simply additive – the combined effect of two fleets was simply the sum of the individual fleets' effects. The analyses offer one way to sharpen the focus of ecosystem‐based fisheries management in the California Current, emphasizing impacts and interactions of particular stressors.     

Respiratory mode and gear type are important determinants of elasmobranch immediate and post‐release mortality

Estimated declines in shark and ray populations worldwide have raised major, widespread concern about the impacts of global fisheries on elasmobranchs. The mechanisms causing elasmobranch mortality during fisheries’ capture are not fully understood, but we must gain greater clarity on this topic for fisheries managers to develop effective conservation plans to mitigate further population declines. To evaluate how two important factors, respiratory mode and fishing gear type, impact elasmobranch survival, we compiled publicly available data sources on the immediate mortality percentages of 83 species and post‐release mortality percentages of 40 species. Using Bayesian models, we found that sharks and rays captured in longlines had significantly lower immediate mortality than those caught in trawls or gillnets. Our models also predicted the mean total discard mortality (combined immediate and post‐release mortality) percentages of obligate ram‐ventilating elasmobranchs caught in longline, gillnet and trawl gear types to be 49.8, 79.0 and 84.2%, respectively. In contrast, total discard mortality percentages of stationary‐respiring species were significantly lower (longline capture mean = 7.2%, gillnet capture mean = 25.3%, trawl capture mean = 41.9%). Our global meta‐analysis provides the first quantified demonstration of how mortality is affected by these two factors across a broad range of species. Our results and approach can be applied to data‐deficient elasmobranchs and fisheries to identify species that are likely to experience high rates of mortality due to respiratory mode and/or fishing methods used, so that appropriate mitigation measures can be prioritized and investigated.     

Short-term stress and mortality of juvenile school prawns, Metapenaeus macleayi, discarded from seines and trawls

Abstract  Two experiments were carried out to assess the short-term impacts to juvenile school prawns, Metapenaeus macleayi (Haswell) discarded from commercial seining and trawling in New South Wales, Australia, and the potential utility of modifications to operational and/or onboard handling practices designed to improve survival. For both gears, discards were handled according to two general categories of treatment (termed mild and extreme) chosen to represent the plausible limits of severity during existing commercial operations. A total of 600 trawled and 480 seined school prawns (from both treatments), along with appropriate numbers of controls (previously collected and housed in acclimation tanks), were placed into cages (in groups of 10). Subsets of each of these groups were then destructively sampled over periods of up to 5 days and examined for their mortality and physiological response (measured as levels of l -lactate in the haemolymph). In both experiments, the temporal mortalities in the treatment groups ranged between 0% and 15% and, for the most part, were not significantly different to controls. Prawns in the treatment groups had similar, significantly elevated levels of l -lactate approximately 40 min after being caught, but these returned to levels approaching baseline estimates within 48 h. Under the conditions examined, juvenile school prawns appear capable of withstanding a range of stressors associated with being discarded from active gears, and their fate is not greatly influenced by the duration of gear deployment and subsequent air exposure. However, further work is required to quantify other sources of unaccounted fishing mortality and, ultimately, the impacts that discarding has on stocks.     

A synthesis to understand responses to capture stressors among fish discarded from commercial fisheries and options for mitigating their severity

Discarding non‐target fish from commercial fisheries is controversial and has been a persistent concern for fisheries managers globally. Discard management strategies typically begin by understanding mortality rates among discarded fish, a challenging task given the dynamic, highly context‐specific nature of fisheries. An alternative is to develop our knowledge of how stressors operate by first understanding the causes of mortality that drive this context dependence. Particularly relevant to mitigation efforts is an understanding of how fish respond to the physical factors of fishing, such as the gear itself and methods of fishing and handling the gear. We provide a synthesis of how commercial fishing methods may influence discard mortality and outline means by which capture‐induced stress and injury can be mitigated for common commercial gear types, emphasizing method variants or alternatives during capture, handling, and release that could improve survival. This synthesis identifies exhaustion and injury as the most detrimental and ubiquitous stressors experienced by discarded fish, with few options for mitigating their effects. Trawls and hanging net fisheries are identified as the most harmful gears for by‐catch, characterized by high stress regardless of method variants and limited options for mitigation. Irrespective of gear type and type of stressor, minimizing durations of capture and handling and encouragement of good handling behaviour (e.g., during landing and sorting) will reduce the magnitude of stress and injury in fish, and ultimately increase survival.     

An underwater laser stripe seabed profiler to measure the physical impact of towed gear components on the seabed

A laser stripe seabed profiler that can be positioned and operated by SCUBA divers is developed. The system is shown to be accurate to within 0.5 mm. A number of examples are presented which demonstrate how the physical impact of towed gear components on a range of sediment types can be measured. These examples also highlight the need to consider the impacts of fishing gears at the level of the gear component.     

捕捞网具逃逸死亡研究进展

幼鱼及非目标种类兼捕已成为许多网具作业共同存在的问题,提高网具选择性能是降低这种兼捕的重要途径。但是选择性能研究主要是基于从网具中逃逸后的鱼类较轻遭受到网具损害并最终存活。如果逃逸死亡率较高,即使选择性提高也是无宜的,因此应当将鱼类逃逸后生存能力作为网具改进效果的评价指标。本文主要由以下三个部分组成:(1)逃逸后死亡的主要影响因素概述,主要包括网具特征、作业时间、作业深度、渔获种类及体长、渔获量及环境因子等;(2)逃逸死亡对资源量和渔业管理决策的影响;(3)总结了近年来通过网具革新措施提高存活率的最新研究概况,如逃逸网片、分离栅及新型材料的应用等。综合分析,认为采取保护幼鱼和非目标种类的一系列措施尽管能够提高鱼类从网具的逃逸几率,但是并不能降低遭遇网具的概率,实施禁渔区、禁渔期制度管理,避免在幼鱼资源高密度区和产卵季节作业是降低这种未报告死亡的最重要的途径。     

Ghost fishing in the pot fishery for blue swimmer crabs Portunus pelagicus in Queensland,Australia

Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus pelagicus) are an economically important crab caught in baited traps throughout the Indo-west Pacific and Mediterranean. In Australia they are traditionally caught using rigid wire traps (≈pots) but there has been a recent increase in the use of collapsible pots constructed from polyethylene trawl mesh. Two experiments were conducted in Moreton Bay, Queensland, to determine the ghost fishing potential of lost crab pots on both target and bycatch species and to evaluate the differences between traditional and contemporary pot designs. A lost contemporary, collapsible trawl mesh pot will catch between 3 and 223 P. pelagicus per year after the bait has been exhausted, while a traditional wire mesh pot would catch 11–74 crabs per year. As most fishers now use the collapsible trawl mesh pots, ghost fishing mortality could be as high as 111,811–670,866 crabs per year. Bycatch retention was also higher in contemporary designs. Periods of strong winds appeared to increase the ghost fishing potential of lost pots. The use of escape gaps, larger mesh sizes and construction options that allow for the deterioration of entrance funnels to minimise ghost fishing are recommended to reduce environmental impacts.     

An evaluation of European initiatives established to encourage industry‐led development of selective fishing gears

There are numerous examples from across Europe where collaborative science‐industry initiatives, which provide a bottom‐up approach to trawl gear development, have been successful in developing selective gears. For fishers, the collaborative approach creates a sense of ownership and control over the gears developed and often a greater desire for them to achieve their objectives. Despite the many benefits of collaborative initiatives, a lack of clarity and transparency, incorrect incentives, unclear communication, and distrust or diverging perceptions can inhibit their performance. The present review examines the different collaborative approaches to fishing gear development that have been established within Europe, highlighting their salient features, comparing their objectives, and discussing the types and effectiveness of the incentives offered. Also examined is how the reform of the European Union's (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), together with the proposed reform of the technical measures framework, can potentially improve the flexibility in the technical regulations and allow for such initiatives to be a central part in improving the state of fish stocks throughout the EU. Finally, a framework is proposed on how initiatives pertaining to industry‐led fishing gear development might look like under the reformed CFP.     

几何相似原理在过滤性渔具网目选择性研究中的应用

利用几何相似原理将传统的过滤性渔具选择性曲线转化为选择性曲面。运用选择性方程，并假设不同网目大小的渔具对相同尺寸渔获个体的渔获服从多项分布后，对过滤性渔具的网目选择性建立模型。使用极大似然估计法对模型进行拟合，同时，通过假设检验对模型进行简化。使用平行作业法试验条件下的张网渔具的黄鲫(Setipinrm taty)渔获数据进行模型拟合。结果显示，所建模型可以在没有对照网的情况下估算出各不同网目大小网囊的选择率，并同样适用于套网法试验条件下的选择性分析。模型的建立为今后进行过滤性渔具网目选择性试验方法改革提供了理论参考。通过与SELECT模型比较，认为模型使用选择性方程并区分渔获能力和捕捞努力量使得模型更具普遍性。     

辽宁省海洋渔具渔法结构调整的研究

根据辽宁省海洋捕捞产量的统计资料,运用灰色关联法分析了拖网、围网、流刺网、钓具、定置网5种主要渔具渔法的产量与海洋捕捞总产量的关联度,运用改进的层次分析法确定了5种主要渔具渔法产量的权重。结果表明,海洋捕捞产量与定置网、拖网的产量的关联度高,与围网、钓具和流刺网的产量关联度低;拖网、围网、流刺网、钓具、定置网产量的计算权重分别约为23．3％、16．1％、31．1％、20．4％、9．1％。对辽宁省渔具渔法产量结构调整进行了讨论。     

Incidental capture of leatherback sea turtles in fixed fishing gear off Atlantic Canada

1. Incidental capture in commercial fishing gear is a threat to many populations of marine megafauna, including sea turtles. While research has largely focused on pelagic longline impacts on sea turtles, fixed‐gear fisheries are a significant, historically understudied source of injury and mortality.
2. The present study assesses the interaction of endangered leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) with fixed‐gear fisheries in high‐latitude seasonal foraging habitat where sub‐adult and adult turtles aggregate.
3. Records of leatherback‐fishery interactions (n = 205) were compiled from databases of publicly‐reported sea turtle sightings in Atlantic Canada (1998–2014) to identify the spatio‐temporal distribution of these events; to identify corresponding fisheries and gear types; and to describe the mechanics and outcomes of entanglements in fixed gear.
4. Most reports came from coastal Nova Scotia (n = 136) and Newfoundland (n = 40), with reporting rates peaking in the mid‐to‐late 2000s. The majority of entanglements were reported during the summer months of July and August when leatherbacks are seasonally resident and several fisheries are active in continental shelf waters.
5. Entanglements were most commonly reported in pot gear (e.g. snow crab, lobster, whelk) and trap nets (e.g. mackerel), reflecting extensive use of polypropylene lines distributed in the upper water column where leatherback foraging activity is concentrated.
6. Given reporting biases and uncertainty regarding post‐release survivorship, entanglement mortalities should be considered a gross underestimate of true mortality rates.
7. This study highlights both the importance of looking beyond pelagic longlines to evaluate leatherback interactions with fixed‐gear fisheries in high‐use continental shelf foraging habitat, and of involving the fishing industry in developing mitigation measures to reduce entanglement rates and associated turtle mortality.