Dataset Information

The low impact of fish traps on the seabed makes it an eco-friendly fishing technique.

ABSTRACT: Besides understanding the effects of fishing on harvested fish stocks, effects on non-target species, habitats and seafloor integrity also need to be considered. Static fishing gears have often been mentioned as a lower impact fishing alternative to towed gears, although studies examining their actual impact on the seafloor are scarce. In this study, we aimed to describe fish trap movements on the seafloor related to soaking time and trap retrieval. Impacts on the seafloor of lightweight rectangular traps and heavier circular traps were compared. We used 3D video cameras to estimate sweeping motion on the seabed and penetration into the sediment during soaking time. The area and distance swept by each type of trap during retrieval was determined by a camera set up facing the sea bottom. The potential rotation of the traps around the mainline was assessed using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Results showed that no penetration and almost no movements could be detected during soaking time for either lightweight or heavy commercial traps, even for high tidal coefficient (maximum 6 cm). No rotation could be observed when the tide turned. The swept area covered by a trap during retrieval was low (maximum 2.04 m2) compared to towed fishing gear and other static gear.

SUBMITTER: Kopp D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7442244 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The low impact of fish traps on the seabed makes it an eco-friendly fishing technique.

Kopp Dorothée D Coupeau Yann Y Vincent Benoît B Morandeau Fabien F Méhault Sonia S Simon Julien J

PloS one 20200821 8

Besides understanding the effects of fishing on harvested fish stocks, effects on non-target species, habitats and seafloor integrity also need to be considered. Static fishing gears have often been mentioned as a lower impact fishing alternative to towed gears, although studies examining their actual impact on the seafloor are scarce. In this study, we aimed to describe fish trap movements on the seafloor related to soaking time and trap retrieval. Impacts on the seafloor of lightweight rectang ...[more]

PMID: 32822424

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Project description:Subtidal marine sediments are one of the planet's primary carbon stores and strongly influence the oceanic sink for atmospheric CO2 . By far the most widespread human activity occurring on the seabed is bottom trawling/dredging for fish and shellfish. A global first-order estimate suggested mobile demersal fishing activities may cause 0.16-0.4 Gt of organic carbon (OC) to be remineralized annually from seabed sediment carbon stores (Sala et al., 2021). There are, however, many uncertainties in this calculation. Here, we discuss the potential drivers of change in seabed sediment OC stores due to mobile demersal fishing activities and conduct a literature review, synthesizing studies where this interaction has been directly investigated. Under certain environmental settings, we hypothesize that mobile demersal fishing would reduce OC in seabed stores due to lower production of flora and fauna, the loss of fine flocculent material, increased sediment resuspension, mixing and transport and increased oxygen exposure. Reductions would be offset to varying extents by reduced faunal bioturbation and community respiration, increased off-shelf transport and increases in primary production from the resuspension of nutrients. Studies which directly investigated the impact of demersal fishing on OC stocks had mixed results. A finding of no significant effect was reported in 61% of 49 investigations; 29% reported lower OC due to fishing activities, with 10% reporting higher OC. In relation to remineralization rates within the seabed, four investigations reported that demersal fishing activities decreased remineralization, with three reporting higher remineralization rates. Patterns in the environmental and experimental characteristics between different outcomes were largely indistinct. More evidence is urgently needed to accurately quantify the impact of anthropogenic physical disturbance on seabed carbon in different environmental settings and to incorporate full evidence-based carbon considerations into global seabed management.

Dataset Information

The low impact of fish traps on the seabed makes it an eco-friendly fishing technique.

Publications

The low impact of fish traps on the seabed makes it an eco-friendly fishing technique.

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