Active Forum Topics
Field Study 561
"Weak" Circle Hook Requirement Proposed in Hawaii
NMFS is recommending that "weak" circle hooks, sized 16/0 or smaller, be required in the Hawaii-based deep-set longline fishery. "Weak" hooks are designed to retain the target catch, but release larger bycatch, like false killer whales (or bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico or pilot whales in North Carolina). The hooks release larger animals by straightening out when the animal puts tension on the line.
In July, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) posted the Draft False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan, which proposes new regulations to protect false killer whales in Hawaii, which are currently being considered for listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Hawaiian false killer whale population has drastically declined over the last two decades.
Agenda
Draft Agenda
WORKSHOP ON TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING
MARINE MAMMAL-GILLNET BYCATCH
Woods Hole, MA USA
October 17-20, 2011
October 16 (6:30 pm) Meet and Greet
October 17 am: Session 1 Paper Presentations
THE CONTEXT
9 am Introductory Remarks
9:15 Dr. Randall Reeves, K. McClellan, T. Werner - Global overview of marine mammal vulnerability to risheries bycatch
New York Times: "Fishing Gear is Altered to Ease Collateral Costs to Marine Life"
The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch has been featured in the August 22, 2011 New York Times Science article, "Fishing Gear is Altered to Ease Collateral Costs to Marine Life".
"The seafood on your plate is not the only animal that gave its life to feed you," is one of the messages from Tim Werner, the director of the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction. While fishing for tuna, lobster, or other tasty seafood, we catch, injure, and kill other fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, and invertebrates.
The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch has been featured in the August 22, 2011 New York Times Science article, "Fishing Gear is Altered to Ease Collateral Costs to Marine Life".
Boston Globe Editorial on Bycatch
The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction was recently featured in an August 27, 2011 editorial in the Boston Globe, "Saving Millions of Fish".
The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction was recently featured in an August 27, 2011 editorial in the Boston Globe, "Saving Millions of Fish".
Fishermen and conservationists both want to avoid bycatch. The Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, based at the New England Aquarium, brings together fishermen and scientists to work together to find ways to reduce bycatch without negatively impacting fisheries.
Shrink and defend: a comparison of two streamer line designs in the 2009 South Africa tuna fishery
Two types of streamer lines, a "light" with short streamers and a "hybrid" with mixed long and short streamers, were tested in the Japanese joint venture tuna fishery that operates in the South African EEZ. The authors also looked at differences in catch rates between weighted and unweighted branchlines.