Proposals for safe release of bycatches of sea turtles and manta rays

The survival of some bycatch species in tuna fisheries can be improved by the development and use of proper release techniques. This has been amply demonstrated by the tuna purse-seine fishermen in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO), who dramatically reduced the mortality of dolphins by means of net modifications and the back down manoeuvre, which facilitate the release of dolphins from the nets. The methods proposed below reflect the current state of knowledge regarding means of reducing the mortality and injury of sea turtles caught in longline fisheries and mobulid rays (i.e., manta and devil rays) encircled in purse seines.