Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently
Shellfish aquaculture is a growing food-producing sector. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis is the primary farmed shellfish and is also a main prey for various species of sea ducks. With their large density of high-quality mussels, mussel farms attract these predators, and consequent depredation by duc...
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ftninstnf:oai:brage.nina.no:11250/3077134 2023-07-30T04:06:49+02:00 Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently Varennes, Élisabeth Hanssen, Sveinn Are Bonardelli, John Guillemette, Magella 2013 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3077134 https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 eng eng Norges forskningsråd: 190239 Aquaculture Environment Interactions. 2013, 3 (4), 31-39. urn:issn:1869-215X https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3077134 https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 cristin:1036132 Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no © 2013 The Authors 31-39 3 Aquaculture Environment Interactions 4 Aquaculture Behavior Diving Netting Somateria mollissima Mytilus edulis Peer reviewed Journal article 2013 ftninstnf https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 2023-07-12T22:48:35Z Shellfish aquaculture is a growing food-producing sector. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis is the primary farmed shellfish and is also a main prey for various species of sea ducks. With their large density of high-quality mussels, mussel farms attract these predators, and consequent depredation by ducks represents a substantial economic loss among mussel growers worldwide. Total exclusion with nets seems to be the only method that provides complete and long-term control of bird predation. The best nets for duck exclusion must be cost effective, efficient, easy to handle, and safe for bird populations. In order to identify the best net type, we tested 8 different nets under controlled conditions using captive common eiders Somateria mollissima, the largest sea duck species in the Northern Hemisphere. We identified a net with a maximum mesh size of 6 inches (~15 cm) and large twine size to be best in excluding common eiders considering the above-mentioned criteria. Nets with thin twine and large mesh size were more likely to cause bird entanglement. In addition to using the best nets for sea duck exclusion, it is necessary to identify a target zone where such nets are the most effective. Good knowledge of the predation problem as well as collaboration among mussel growers, bird specialists, and government authorities are essential to reduce the costs and effort of installing and maintaining exclusion nets. Aquaculture, behavior, diving, netting, somateria mollissima, ytilus edulis Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently publishedVersion Article in Journal/Newspaper Somateria mollissima Norwegian Institute for Nature Research: Brage NINA Aquaculture Environment Interactions 4 1 31 39 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research: Brage NINA |
op_collection_id |
ftninstnf |
language |
English |
topic |
Aquaculture Behavior Diving Netting Somateria mollissima Mytilus edulis |
spellingShingle |
Aquaculture Behavior Diving Netting Somateria mollissima Mytilus edulis Varennes, Élisabeth Hanssen, Sveinn Are Bonardelli, John Guillemette, Magella Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
topic_facet |
Aquaculture Behavior Diving Netting Somateria mollissima Mytilus edulis |
description |
Shellfish aquaculture is a growing food-producing sector. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis is the primary farmed shellfish and is also a main prey for various species of sea ducks. With their large density of high-quality mussels, mussel farms attract these predators, and consequent depredation by ducks represents a substantial economic loss among mussel growers worldwide. Total exclusion with nets seems to be the only method that provides complete and long-term control of bird predation. The best nets for duck exclusion must be cost effective, efficient, easy to handle, and safe for bird populations. In order to identify the best net type, we tested 8 different nets under controlled conditions using captive common eiders Somateria mollissima, the largest sea duck species in the Northern Hemisphere. We identified a net with a maximum mesh size of 6 inches (~15 cm) and large twine size to be best in excluding common eiders considering the above-mentioned criteria. Nets with thin twine and large mesh size were more likely to cause bird entanglement. In addition to using the best nets for sea duck exclusion, it is necessary to identify a target zone where such nets are the most effective. Good knowledge of the predation problem as well as collaboration among mussel growers, bird specialists, and government authorities are essential to reduce the costs and effort of installing and maintaining exclusion nets. Aquaculture, behavior, diving, netting, somateria mollissima, ytilus edulis Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently publishedVersion |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Varennes, Élisabeth Hanssen, Sveinn Are Bonardelli, John Guillemette, Magella |
author_facet |
Varennes, Élisabeth Hanssen, Sveinn Are Bonardelli, John Guillemette, Magella |
author_sort |
Varennes, Élisabeth |
title |
Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
title_short |
Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
title_full |
Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
title_fullStr |
Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
title_sort |
sea duck predation in mussel farms: the best nets for excluding common eiders safely and efficiently |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3077134 https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 |
genre |
Somateria mollissima |
genre_facet |
Somateria mollissima |
op_source |
31-39 3 Aquaculture Environment Interactions 4 |
op_relation |
Norges forskningsråd: 190239 Aquaculture Environment Interactions. 2013, 3 (4), 31-39. urn:issn:1869-215X https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3077134 https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 cristin:1036132 |
op_rights |
Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no © 2013 The Authors |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00072 |
container_title |
Aquaculture Environment Interactions |
container_volume |
4 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
31 |
op_container_end_page |
39 |
_version_ |
1772819751445200896 |