Summary
Seal exclusion devices (SEDs) are effective in reducing pinniped bycatch in the Patagonian squid fishery, however, drowning may still occur during trawl hauling.
Year
Journal/Publisher Name
Frontiers in Marine Science
Volume (Issue #)
12(588956)
Contact information
Verónica Iriarte: viriarte@naturalresources.gov.fk
Field Studies
Disentangling pinniped incidental mortality in a bottom-trawl fishery with seal exclusion devices
Study Type
Field study in the wild
Location
Falkland Islands
Target catch
Patagonian squid (Doryteuthis gahi)
Effect on bycatch species
0.91% of seals over 12 fishing seasons were caught in trawls with SEDs, with a survival rate of 89.5%. SED mortalities were attributed to drowning from blockages in the SED or entanglement in the trawl. Faster hauling speeds may also increase bycatch.
Effect on target catch
Not studied.
Bycatch species
Reduction technique
Fishing Gear