Limiting fishing in important habitats or at certain times can help prevent bycatch.
Integrating conservation into fisheries management
Site-based fisheries management tools can help reduce bycatch in coastal fisheries as well as those on the high seas (those areas of the ocean outside of a countries Exclusive Economic Zone). They offer an effective and practical way to reduce bycatch and can be combined with enforced measures to implement more selective fishing gear.
Such management zoning can include:
- Short term, seasonal or permanent time, area, or gear restrictions/requirements
- Short term, seasonal or permanent no-take zones
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Examples of management solutions
- In September 2007, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) took measures to protect cold water corals by closing a sensitive area to all bottom fishing. At the same meeting, they also committed to a southern Grand Banks cod recovery strategy which includes a bycatch reduction target of 40% for 2008.
- The Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) has taken the lead with reducing marine turtle bycatch from the longline fleet of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Here, extensive engagement with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), WWF and the local fishermen has helped move towards the broad adoption of large circle hooks which reduce turtle bycatch.
How we manage our fisheries is fundamental to our overall treatment of the seas. Non-selective fishing is one of the biggest challenges we face and I am hopeful that we can achieve change as the solutions do exist. We're making some progress in the North Atlantic but more needs to happen and we need to get it right - before it's too late.
Helen McLachlan, Senior Marine Policy Officer, WWF-Scotland
- The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has a high level of commitment to bycatch reduction. As a result of their conservation measures, seabird bycatch has been dramatically reduced in the convention area through the adoption of streamer lines, setting longlines at night (when seabird activity is low), discharging fish offal when the gear is not being set, and ensuring the nets are clean (to minimize seabird foraging).
- The New Zealand government banned gill nets in inshore waters on New Zealand's North Island to protect the critically endangered Maui's dolphin – the world’s smallest and rarest marine dolphin, whose numbers have been severely depleted by set gill net fishing.
- In summer 2007, the Moroccan government recently banned gillnetting in its waters. Under the new law, Morocco will destroy all its driftnets - thereby ensuring that the banned gear is not simply sold on to other countries. Instead, compensation will enable Moroccan fishermen to invest in more sustainable activites - whilst up to a year’s imprisonment or heavy fines will be sentenced to those caught still using the destructive nets.