Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations
In 1992, the eastern Canadian gillnet fisheries for northern cod and Atlantic salmon were largely closed. These large-scale fishery closures resulted in the removal of tens of thousands of gillnets known to inflict high levels of seabird mortality. We used this unprecedented opportunity to test the...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:3730620 2023-05-15T15:32:13+02:00 Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations Regular, Paul Montevecchi, William Hedd, April Robertson, Gregory Wilhelm, Sabina 2013-08-23 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3730620 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720519 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 en eng The Royal Society http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720519 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. Conservation Biology Text 2013 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 2014-08-24T00:38:54Z In 1992, the eastern Canadian gillnet fisheries for northern cod and Atlantic salmon were largely closed. These large-scale fishery closures resulted in the removal of tens of thousands of gillnets known to inflict high levels of seabird mortality. We used this unprecedented opportunity to test the effects of gillnet removal on seabird populations. Consistent with predictions, we show that the breeding populations of divers (auks, gannets; susceptible to gillnet bycatch) have increased from pre-closure levels, whereas the populations of scavenging surface-feeders (gulls; low vulnerability to gillnet bycatch but susceptible to removal of fisheries discards) have decreased. Using the most complete series of seabird census data for the species most vulnerable to bycatch, we demonstrate a positive population response of common murres to reduction in gillnet fishing within its foraging range. These findings support the widespread but seldom documented contention that fisheries bycatch negatively impacts populations of non-target large vertebrates. Text Atlantic salmon PubMed Central (PMC) Biology Letters 9 4 20130088 |
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English |
topic |
Conservation Biology |
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Conservation Biology Regular, Paul Montevecchi, William Hedd, April Robertson, Gregory Wilhelm, Sabina Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
topic_facet |
Conservation Biology |
description |
In 1992, the eastern Canadian gillnet fisheries for northern cod and Atlantic salmon were largely closed. These large-scale fishery closures resulted in the removal of tens of thousands of gillnets known to inflict high levels of seabird mortality. We used this unprecedented opportunity to test the effects of gillnet removal on seabird populations. Consistent with predictions, we show that the breeding populations of divers (auks, gannets; susceptible to gillnet bycatch) have increased from pre-closure levels, whereas the populations of scavenging surface-feeders (gulls; low vulnerability to gillnet bycatch but susceptible to removal of fisheries discards) have decreased. Using the most complete series of seabird census data for the species most vulnerable to bycatch, we demonstrate a positive population response of common murres to reduction in gillnet fishing within its foraging range. These findings support the widespread but seldom documented contention that fisheries bycatch negatively impacts populations of non-target large vertebrates. |
format |
Text |
author |
Regular, Paul Montevecchi, William Hedd, April Robertson, Gregory Wilhelm, Sabina |
author_facet |
Regular, Paul Montevecchi, William Hedd, April Robertson, Gregory Wilhelm, Sabina |
author_sort |
Regular, Paul |
title |
Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
title_short |
Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
title_full |
Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
title_fullStr |
Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
title_sort |
canadian fishery closures provide a large-scale test of the impact of gillnet bycatch on seabird populations |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3730620 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720519 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 |
genre |
Atlantic salmon |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720519 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 |
op_rights |
© 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0088 |
container_title |
Biology Letters |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
20130088 |
_version_ |
1766362725889343488 |