Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm

Abstract Carnivore depredation on human livestock is a worldwide problem with few viable solutions. Non‐lethal management tools such as acoustic devices show highly varying success and often pose a conservation risk due to noise pollution and habitat degradation. We tested the long‐term effectivenes...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal Conservation
Main Authors: Götz, T., Janik, V. M.
Other Authors: Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acv.12248
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Facv.12248
https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acv.12248
id crwiley:10.1111/acv.12248
record_format openpolar
spelling crwiley:10.1111/acv.12248 2024-09-30T14:36:12+00:00 Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm Götz, T. Janik, V. M. Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acv.12248 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Facv.12248 https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acv.12248 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Animal Conservation volume 19, issue 3, page 212-221 ISSN 1367-9430 1469-1795 journal-article 2016 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12248 2024-09-05T05:04:52Z Abstract Carnivore depredation on human livestock is a worldwide problem with few viable solutions. Non‐lethal management tools such as acoustic devices show highly varying success and often pose a conservation risk due to noise pollution and habitat degradation. We tested the long‐term effectiveness of a deterrence system which harnesses an autonomous reflex (startle) to selectively inflict avoidance responses in a target species ( phocid seals) by emitting band‐limited noise pulses with sharp onset times. Seal predation was monitored at a marine salmon farm (test site) over a full production cycle (19 month) with a multi‐transducer deterrent system deployed for the final year. Predation was also monitored for several months at two control sites and additional short‐term tests were carried out at sites which suffered higher predation rates. Generalized linear (mixed) models revealed that sound exposure caused a 91% reduction in lost fish when comparing predation levels within the test site and 97% when comparing the test site against both control sites. Similarly, sound exposure led to a 93% reduction in the number of fish lost due to seal damage at a short‐term test site. Visual monitoring of marine mammals around the long‐term test site showed that the number of seal surfacings within 100 m from the loudspeakers was only slightly lower during sound exposure. Harbour porpoise and otter distribution around the farm was not affected by sound exposure. By adjusting the frequency composition of startle stimuli, our method has the potential to provide solutions for managing human–wildlife conflicts in terrestrial and marine habitats by selectively deterring target species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Harbour porpoise Wiley Online Library Animal Conservation 19 3 212 221
institution Open Polar
collection Wiley Online Library
op_collection_id crwiley
language English
description Abstract Carnivore depredation on human livestock is a worldwide problem with few viable solutions. Non‐lethal management tools such as acoustic devices show highly varying success and often pose a conservation risk due to noise pollution and habitat degradation. We tested the long‐term effectiveness of a deterrence system which harnesses an autonomous reflex (startle) to selectively inflict avoidance responses in a target species ( phocid seals) by emitting band‐limited noise pulses with sharp onset times. Seal predation was monitored at a marine salmon farm (test site) over a full production cycle (19 month) with a multi‐transducer deterrent system deployed for the final year. Predation was also monitored for several months at two control sites and additional short‐term tests were carried out at sites which suffered higher predation rates. Generalized linear (mixed) models revealed that sound exposure caused a 91% reduction in lost fish when comparing predation levels within the test site and 97% when comparing the test site against both control sites. Similarly, sound exposure led to a 93% reduction in the number of fish lost due to seal damage at a short‐term test site. Visual monitoring of marine mammals around the long‐term test site showed that the number of seal surfacings within 100 m from the loudspeakers was only slightly lower during sound exposure. Harbour porpoise and otter distribution around the farm was not affected by sound exposure. By adjusting the frequency composition of startle stimuli, our method has the potential to provide solutions for managing human–wildlife conflicts in terrestrial and marine habitats by selectively deterring target species.
author2 Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Götz, T.
Janik, V. M.
spellingShingle Götz, T.
Janik, V. M.
Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
author_facet Götz, T.
Janik, V. M.
author_sort Götz, T.
title Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
title_short Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
title_full Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
title_fullStr Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
title_full_unstemmed Non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
title_sort non‐lethal management of carnivore predation: long‐term tests with a startle reflex‐based deterrence system on a fish farm
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2016
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acv.12248
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Facv.12248
https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acv.12248
genre Harbour porpoise
genre_facet Harbour porpoise
op_source Animal Conservation
volume 19, issue 3, page 212-221
ISSN 1367-9430 1469-1795
op_rights http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12248
container_title Animal Conservation
container_volume 19
container_issue 3
container_start_page 212
op_container_end_page 221
_version_ 1811639324150595584