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 Antonello Sala Coordinator email a.sala@ismar.cnr.it
Coordinator institution
CNR-ISMAR - National Research Council; Institute of Marine Sciences (Italy)
Institutions involved
ISPRA - Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Italy) ,
CNR-IAMC - National Research Council; Institute for Coastal Marine Environment (Italy) ,
UNIPD - University of Padua (Italy) ,
Start year 2015 End year 2017 Funding (€) € 700,000 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 and isotopic markers.
Objectives:
(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.
Keywords
Environmental impact;
Genetic;
Sea turtles;
Bycatch;
Trawling;
Cetaceans;
Marine Region
71
South of Sicily (GSA 16)
74
Northern Adriatic (GSA 17)
2
Marine Region Map
