What’s in the Net? Using camera technology to monitor, and support mitigation of, wildlife bycatch in fisheries.

Sustainable fisheries management is vital for the livelihoods and wellbeing of people all around the world, and for the health and survival of marine ecosystems and species. Remote Electronic Monitoring with cameras (REM) of fisheries is a powerful tool to underpin sustainable fisheries management. This report explores how REM can be used to address the particular issue of unintentional killing of Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species in commercial fishing, which we term “ETP bycatch.” It outlines the benefits of REM for bycatch monitoring and mitigation and provides an overview of where REM has been used in relation to ETP bycatch around the world to date. It provides five case studies and identifies best practice elements of implementation, and applies these to two hypothetical fisheries of different scale and scope. Finally, it offers advice on accelerating the adoption of REM and recommendations for the adoption of REM as a key element of sustainable fisheries management.