Mitigation and bycatch of protected species (113605)

The MITIBYC project is structured around two main axes: 1) to increase our knowledge of the yearly impact of Danish fisheries on populations of protected seabirds and marine mammals, and 2) to develop and test mitigation tools that can minimize this impact by reducing bycatches of protected seabirds and marine mammals.

1. Using the fishing effort and bycatch data collected routinely through the Data Collection Framework (DCF), the project will develop novel methods to produce accurate yearly bycatch estimates in Danish fisheries for several species of seabirds, for harbour porpoise, and for seals (Work Package 1). Based on the models developed during this initial phase, the project will identify the most influential fisheries-related and ecological factors that drive bycatch rates in Danish net fisheries for each of the above-mentioned taxa (Work Package 2). This work will be useful to inform fisheries management and reduce bycatch of protected species to a minimum in Danish waters.

2. Finding ways to minimise protected species bycatch is essential to ensure the sustainability of Danish fisheries. Building upon years of experience gathered in previous bycatch mitigation projects, the team in the MITIBYC project will develop new and improve existing methods to reduce and where possible eliminate bycatch of protected species in high-risk fishing gears (Work Package 3). Long-term collaborations between fishers and DTU Aqua will guarantee that the mitigation tools and alternative gears stemming for this work will be operationalizable and accepted by the industry.

Funding

The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Danish Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme (EMFAF).

Research area: Ecosystem based Marine Management