Cetaceans are the principal marine mammals affected by tuna fisheries. They may be incidentally captured in purse seines or become entangled or hooked on longlines (e.g., false killer whales in the Hawaii-based deep-set longline fishery). Entanglement is a significant problem in medium-scale, semi-industrial and artisanal tuna drift gillnet fisheries. In the tropical tuna purse-seine fishery, species such as baleen whales or dolphins (as well the whale shark Rhincodon typus), may serve as sighting cues by purse-seine fishers for the presence of tuna schools at the surface of the sea and/or may be caught accidentally when fishing for the targeted species [1].
Successful techniques to release cetaceans from purse seine nets have been employed for some time, e.g., the backdown procedure and Medina panel, and there have been advances in techniques for safe handling and release of megafauna from purse seines, longlines and gillnets [2,3,4]. Dynamic spatio-temporal fishery management strategies can help fishers to avoid interactions in the first place. For example, a recent study identified the principal environmental variables influencing the co-occurrence between baleen whales, whale sharks and tuna purse-seine fisheries [1]. 'Weak' circle hooks can reduce bycatch (but not depredation), though post-interaction mortality is unknown. Sub-surface gillnets have been shown to reduce cetacean bycatch in Indian Ocean fisheries, though not for deep-diving cetaceans. Pingers (acoustic alarms) have been shown to mitigate bycatch of some cetacean species, predominantly in gillnet fisheries, albeit with strong caveats [5].
SeaLlifeBase is a source of biological and distribution data for marine mammal species. FAO's guide to the Marine Mammals of the World provides species identification and distribution information. Locate handy Species ID guides here. NOAA's 'Find a Species - Dolphins & Porpoises' and 'Whales' has information on protection status, biology and population status, distribution, threats, conservation measures and research. Cetacean mortality can be reduced by following techniques outlined in Guidelines for the safe and humane handling and release of bycaught small cetaceans from fishing gear.
References
- Escalle, L., Pennino, M.G., Gaertner, D., Chavance, P., Delgado de Molina, A., Demarcq, H., Romanov, E., and Merigot, B. 2016. Environmental factors and megafauna spatio-temporal co-occurrence with purse-seine fisheries. Fisheries Oceanography 25(4): 433–447. doi:10.1111/fog.12163.
- Escalle, L., Murua, H., Amande, J.M., Arregui, I., Chavance, P., Delgado de Molina, A., Gaertner, D., Fraile, I., Filmalter, J.D., Santiago, J., Forget, F., Arrizabalaga, H., Dagorn, L., and Merigot, B. 2016. Post-capture survival of whale sharks encircled in tuna purse-seine nets: tagging and safe release methods. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 26(4): 782–789. doi:10.1002/aqc.2662.
- Poisson, F., Vernet, A.L., Seret, B., and Dagorn, L. 2012. Good practices to reduce the mortality of sharks and rays caught incidentally by the tropical tuna purse seiners. EU FP7, EBFMtuna-2012 Montpellier, France.
- Hamer, D., Minton, G. 2020. Guidelines for the safe and humane handling and release of bycaught small cetaceans from fishing gear. CMS Technical Series No. 43. UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany.
- FAO. 2021. Fishing operations. Guidelines to prevent and reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries. FAO, Rome, Italy.
Marine Mammals
3-Alpha Code | Name | Scientific Name |
---|---|---|
WLE | WHALE (UNIDENTIFIED) | Cetacea |
ODN | TOOTHED WHALES NEI | Odontoceti |
SSF | SUBANTARCTIC FUR SEAL | Arctocephalus tropicalis |
DST | STRIPED DOLPHIN | Stenella coeruleoalba |
SSL | STELLER SEA LION | Eumetopias jubatus |
DSP | SPOTTED DOLPHINS NEI | Stenella spp. |
DSI | SPINNER DOLPHIN | Stenella longirostris |
SPW | SPERM WHALE | Physeter macrocephalus |
SPP | SPECTACLED PORPOISE | Australophocaena dioptrica |
SEK | SOUTH AFRICAN FUR SEAL | Arctocephalus pusillus |
SHW | SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE | Globicephala macrorhynchus |
SIW | SEI WHALE | Balaenoptera borealis |
SXX | SEALS NEI | Otariidae, phocidae |
RTD | ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN | Steno bredanensis |
DRR | RISSO'S DOLPHIN | Grampus griseus |
PYW | PYGMY SPERM WHALE | Kogia breviceps |
KPW | PYGMY KILLER WHALE | Feresa attenuata |
GLO | PILOT WHALES NEI | Globicephala spp |
DPN | PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHIN | Stenella attenuata |
DWP | PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN | Lagenorhynchus obliquidens |
RNW | NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN | Lissodelphis borealis |
SEN | NORTHERN FUR SEAL | Callorhinus ursinus |
SNP | NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL | Mirounga angustirostris |
MIW | MINKE WHALE | Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
MEW | MELON-HEADED WHALE | Peponocephala electra |
PIW | LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALE | Globicephala melas |
DCZ | LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN | Delphinus capensis |
KIW | KILLER WHALE | Orcinus orca |
DBZ | INDO-PACIFIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN | Tursiops aduncus |
HUW | HUMPBACK WHALE | Megaptera novaeangliae |
SMH | HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL | Monachus schauinslandi |
SEC | HARBOUR SEAL | Phoca vitulina |
PHR | HARBOUR PORPOISE | Phocoena phocoena |
SGF | GUADALUPE FUR SEAL | Arctocephalus townsendi |
GRW | GRAY WHALE | Eschrichtius robustus |
TGW | GINKGO-TOOTHED BEAKED WHALE | Mesoplodon ginkgodens |
FRD | FRASER'S DOLPHIN | Lagenodelphis hosei |
FIW | FIN WHALE | Balaenoptera physalus |
FAW | FALSE KILLER WHALE | Pseudorca crassidens |
DWW | DWARF SPERM WHALE | Kogia simus |
DDU | DUSKY DOLPHIN | Lagenorhynchus obscurus |
DLP | DOLPHINS NEI | Delphinidae |
PDA | DALL'S PORPOISE | Phocoenoides dalli |
BCW | CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE | Ziphius cavirostris |
DCO | COMMON DOLPHIN | Delphinus delphis |
CSL | CALIFORNIA SEA LION | Zalophus californianus |
BRW | BRYDE'S WHALE | Balaenoptera edeni |
DBO | BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN | Tursiops truncatus |
BLW | BLUE WHALE | Balaenoptera musculus |
BBW | BLAINVILLE'S BEAKED WHALE | Mesoplodon densirostris |
MEP | BEAKED WHALES NEI | Mesoplodon spp |
MYS | BALEEN WHALES NEI | Mysticeti |
BEW | BAIRD'S BEAKED WHALE | Berardius bairdii |
ASL | AUSTRALIAN SEA LION | Neophoca cinerea |
MAM | AQUATIC MAMMALS NEI | Mammalia |
SEA | ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL | Arctocephalus forsteri |