A new study published this week in Science found that ending overfishing to rebuild depleted target fish stocks can produce a collateral benefit of bycatch reduction for endangered species in about half of cases examined. This means that ensuring productive fisheries and reducing bycatch of endangered species could be achieved in many cases using the same management approaches. Other cases would also require bycatch reduction efforts, such as changes in fishing gear and practices, specifically tailored for endangered species.
The study was led by scientists at UC Santa-Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, and co-authored by CSP Senior Scientist, Bryan Wallace, who works on marine megafauana biology and conservation, including bycatch issues.
Improving fisheries yields – for food and profit – is a global challenge for managers and fishers. This challenge becomes more difficult when fishing gear unintentionally ensnares or entangles endangered species of marine mammals, turtles, and birds. Though these species are not usually the target of fishing operations, fisheries bycatch has been implicated in declines in their populations in many parts of the world. Achieving both productive fishing and endangered species protection is a ‘holy grail’ for commercial fisheries.