Hi Alex, there are a lot of frameworks used to mitigate the negative effects of bycatch.

Being very variable according to the target species and types of fishing gear, I'll list just some of the solutions:

-Rigid and flexible separator panels (MK Broadhurst & SJ Kennelly, 1998)

-modified codend (MK Broadhurst, SJ Kennelly, B Isaksen, 1996.)

-V-design vertical separator panel (Watson and McVea, 1977)

-rigid grid (turtle exclusion devices alias TEDs; Harrington, 1992)

Last but not least, you can find a lot of useful information on this topic on the FAO website at the following link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t4890e/t4890e08.htm

If you already knew these publications forgive me for the triviality.

Kind regards,

Daniele.

Dear Dr Alex

Dr. M R Boopendranath and Dr. P. Pravin has carried out extensive research on the bycatch reduction in trawl fishing operations in India

I will give their email id you can contact them if you want any details regarding this.

[email protected]

[email protected]

thanks

If you are seeking an overarching frameworks related to bycatch you may wish to consult the following agreed instruments:

FAO International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards

http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/ba0022t/ba0022t00.pdf

FAO code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/v9878e/v9878e00.htm

There are other internationally agreed instruments related to International Plans of Action for (amongst others) sharks and seabirds

http://www.fao.org/fishery/code/ipoa/en

as well as the texts on the ecosystem approach to fisheries

http://www.fao.org/fishery/eaf-net/en

With respect to risk assessments and what these assessments might identify as species of concern, Seafish may wish to consider technical assistance approaches that resolve issues through collaboration and partnerships. FAO is always looking for additional partners to assist in resolving problems in developing countries with bycatch management and reduction of discards.

I agree this is an issue. There are of course numerous studies on reducing by-catch in specific fisheries but no overall assessment framework I am aware of. I guess you could build on the structure used in Marine Stewardship assessments which separate impacts into increasingly higher level issues - direct impacts on discards of the retained and non-retained species; direct impacts on endangered or protected species, and in increasing difficulty to assess - impacts on habitats and wider impacts on the ecosystem.

I think it would also be very useful to analyse issues which can prevent mitigation measures being taken up by the industry - these would include evidence that the mitigation measure impacts quantity or quality of the retained catch, evidence that the mitigation interferes with fishing operational efficiency and so on. It seems to me that these important issues are often over-looked and sometimes mean that voluntary uptake is not sufficient and leads to a need to even more complext technical legal measures.

This might give you a framework which would help and it would then also be compatible with MSC standards - in addition your review might be of help to MSC assessors as well.

Hi! Check out this paper: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783609002240

Article Can we increase haddock yield within the constraints of the ...

You might find this report useful:

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10323

It is a report on the Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat published by the US National Research Council in 2002. FAO also published a review online at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y7135e/y7135e07.htm

This is different from the other links posted above.

Please go to IATTC researchers. This institution is a lot regarding your question, please contact Dr. Robert Olson ([email protected]) he would redirect to you to the right researcher.

Hi Alex

this is how we approached it

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/research_reports/frr212.pdf

Brett

Thanks for all of these useful suggestions. I'll keep you posted on how we get on.

best

Alex

For sea turtle there are many publications about the interest of TED and TTED to reduce sea turtle by-catch risks in trawlers. For hooks and longline there are some recommendations too.

Some references :

GILMAN E., Proceedings of the technical workshop on mitigating sea turtle bycatch in coastal net fisheries; 2009 20-22 January 2009; Honolulu, Hawai, USA. Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, IUCN, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Indian Ocean – South-East Asian Marine Turtle MoU, U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Honolulu; Gland, Switzerland; Bangkok; and Pascagoula, USA. p 88.

FAO, 2009. - Guidelines to reduce sea turtle mortality in fishing operations. Rome. 128pp p.

WALLACE B., LEWISON R., MCDONALD S., MCDONALD R., KOT C., KELEZ S., BJORKLAND R., FINKBEINER E., HELMBRECHT S. & CROWDER L., 2010. - Global patterns of marine turtle bycatch. Conservation Letters: 1-12.

WALLACE B.P., KOT C.Y., DIMATTEO A.D., LEE T., CROWDER L.B. & LEWISON R.L., 2013. - Impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine turtle populations worldwide: toward conservation and research priorities. Ecosphere, 4: 40.

BARKAN J., 2010. - A Plan to Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch in Small-scale Gillnet Fisheries Using Illuminated Nets. San Diego, California. 50pp. p.

BENHARDOUZEA W., AKSISSOUA M. & TIWARI M., 2012. - Incidental captures of sea turtles in the driftnet and longline fisheries in

CASALE P., 2008. - Incidental catch of marine turtles in the mediterranean sea: captures, mortality, priorities. WWF Mediterranean Marine Turtle Programme c/o WWF Italy. 73pp p.

Alex

here is an approached used in Western Australia

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/research_reports/frr212.pdf