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Marine mammal population decline linked to obscured by-catch.


ABSTRACT: Declines of marine megafauna due to fisheries by-catch are thought to be mitigated by exclusion devices that release nontarget species. However, exclusion devices may instead conceal negative effects associated with by-catch caused by fisheries (i.e., unobserved or discarded by-catch with low postrelease survival or reproduction). We show that the decline of the endangered New Zealand (NZ) sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is linked to latent levels of by-catch occurring in sub-Antarctic trawl fisheries. Exclusion devices have been used since 2001 but have not slowed or reversed population decline. However, 35% of the variability in NZ sea lion pup production is explained by latent by-catch, and the population would increase without this factor. Our results indicate that exclusion devices can obscure rather than alleviate fishery impacts on marine megafauna.

SUBMITTER: Meyer S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5676876 | biostudies-other | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Marine mammal population decline linked to obscured by-catch.

Meyer Stefan S   Robertson Bruce C BC   Chilvers B Louise BL   Krkošek Martin M  

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20171009 44


Declines of marine megafauna due to fisheries by-catch are thought to be mitigated by exclusion devices that release nontarget species. However, exclusion devices may instead conceal negative effects associated with by-catch caused by fisheries (i.e., unobserved or discarded by-catch with low postrelease survival or reproduction). We show that the decline of the endangered New Zealand (NZ) sea lion (<i>Phocarctos hookeri</i>) is linked to latent levels of by-catch occurring in sub-Antarctic traw  ...[more]

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