Acronym BYCATCH
Category
Fisheries
Title Evaluation of the accidental catches of protected species in the pelagic trawling Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Caterina Maria Fortuna Coordinator email caterina.fortuna@isprambiente.it
Coordinator institution
ISPRA - Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Italy)
Institutions involved
CNR-ISMAR - National Research Council; Institute of Marine Sciences (Italy) ,
Start year 2006 End year 2013 Funding (€) € 1,850,619 Website NA Summary "This project was the Italian implementation to the Regulation (EC) No. 812/2004 (continuation of previous BYCATCH projects). Its focus was monitoring of cetacean bycatch in Italian pelagic trawlers. Additional data on the bycatch of other protected species (e.g. sea turtles) and species of conservation concern (e.g. elasmobranchs) was also collected. The project also looked at the development and use of existing bycatch mitigation tools for both sea turtles and cetaceans (e.g. TEDs and pingers). Moreover, the project carried out studies aiming to the characterization of the population structure of the species involved through the use of genetics, isotopic markers and other biomarkers (pollution markers in biological tissues). Finally, in this specific project, the first aerial survey was carried out over the Adriatic in order to obtain robust data on distribution and abundance of cetaceans and sea turtles. These data were necessary to begin the evaluation of the bycatch impact at the population level for bottlenose dolphins.
Goals:
(1) To carry out an independent observer scheme on cetacean bycatch - in compliance with Articles 4 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 812/2004; (2) To assess the impact of bycatch on cetaceans and other protected species in the Adriatic at the population level; (3) To carry out population structure studies on incidentally caught loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and wild, stranded and bycatch bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) through genetic, isotopic and toxicological analyses; (4) To evaluate the feasibility of the use of bycatch mitigation systems such as, for example, turtle exclusion devices of pingers; (5) To manage of the data collected by observers, through the implementation of an ad hoc database; (6) A feasibility study of the use of mitigation systems such as, for example, the grids of exclusion and pingers; (7) To compile the annual National Report under Regulation (CE) n. 812/2004; (8) To carry out the first aerial survey over the Adriatic Sea with the following objectives: (i) To produce an estimate of absolute abundance with reasonable Coefficients of Variation (CVs) for the most common cetacean species in the Adriatic Sea, the common bottlenose dolphin, and for sea turtles in Summer; (ii) To prepare of a preliminary draft for regional management plan of critical interactions with fisheries, including an analysis of risk the populations of the relevant protected species regularly frequenting the Adriatic Sea; (iii) To train Italian and foreign researchers in the field of aerial surveys, in accordance with the ongoing activities within the ACCOBAMS (activity financed by the Italian Ministry of Environment)."
Keywords
Trawling;
Sharks;
Fishing technology;
Environmental impact;
Bycatch;
Gear technology;
Sea turtles;
Dolphins;
Cetaceans;
Genetic;
Marine Region
74
Northern Adriatic (GSA 17)
1
Marine Region Map
