July 2023 - December 2025

EXPLORING THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL FISHERS TO REDUCE BYCATCH

In fisheries, bycatch of non-target species is typically managed with fleet-level controls, such as technology requirements, fleet-wide bycatch quotas, or time-area closures. Although these approaches have successfully reduced bycatch of some threatened or protected species in certain cases, they can have high socioeconomic costs for fisheries. Some of the more straightforward bycatch problems have been resolved, but fisheries are now grappling with more complex challenges such as small cetaceans in set nets, sharks and rays in a variety of gears, and many small-scale or multi-species fleets.

These issues urgently need to be addressed without overburdening fishers and managers or imposing excessive costs on industry.

One largely untapped source of innovation is the fishers themselves. Exploration of a variety of gear types and non-target species indicates that certain operators can maintain high target catch rates while having low bycatch rates across, and this pattern was evident in a range of fisheries (Roberson & Wilcox, 2022).

If this variability is consistent across different fisheries contexts, the implication is that some fishers have already developed effective bycatch reduction strategies, even for problematic species or unselective fishing methods.

This suggests there is opportunity to help tackle bycatch problems that have been difficult and expensive to address with current approaches by investigating the practices of the most efficient operators in a fishery. Our theory is that bycatch solutions should be generated by the fishers, with management bodies providing the appropriate regulation, support, and resources to enable fisheries to improve.

PROJECT AIMS

We are building an international working group to explore alternative, lower-cost solutions to fisheries bycatch and best practices for engaging with fishing industries.

The activities will take place through a combination of online collaboration, small group meetings, and larger workshops.

Related Publications

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Roberson, L. A., Brown, C. J., Klein, C. J., Game, E. T. & Wilcox, C. Opportunity to Leverage Tactics Used by Skilled Fishers to Address Persistent Bycatch Challenges. Fish and Fisheries faf.12873 (2024) doi:10.1111/faf.12873.

PDF Here

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Roberson LA & Wilcox C. (2022). Bycatch rates in fisheries largely driven by variation in individual vessel behaviour. Nature Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00865-0.

PDF Here

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Roberson L & C Wilcox. “Dolphins, turtles and birds don’t have to die in fishing gear – skilled fishers can avoid it.” The Conversation, April 5, 2022 12.46pm AEST, Environment + Energy

Article Here

Additional Information

DATA CONFIDENTIALITY

High resolution data are needed to isolate the individual “operator effect” from the many factors affecting bycatch availability (e.g., season, location, target species).
We implement procedures to ensure the integrity, security, and proper utilization of these data while safeguarding the confidentiality of sensitive information.
Specific requirements for data anonymity and confidentiality can be accommodated to meet the needs of each data owner.