Morigenos Tilen Genov Interaction with Fisheries Bycatch ACCOBAMS

© Morigenos - Tilen Genov Interaction with Fisheries: Bycatch ACCOBAMS’ approach Copenhagen, Denmark, 3 September 2019 Ayaka Amaha Ozturk Task Manager for Fisheries Interations, ACCOBAMS SC Co-Chair, JBWG ACCOBAMS-ASCOBANS Turkish Marine Research Foundation Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Agreement for the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area March 2019 = 24 Parties OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Interactions with fisheries are main threats for cetaceans Fisheries (in general): Overexploitation → Prey depletion Bycatch: Entanglement in fishing gears (gill nets and trammel nets, trawlers, purse seiners) including abandoned fishing gear (ghost nets) Secondary effect: Damage to social structure, loss of mothers for infants Depredation is another serious problem in A. Tonay/TUDAV the Mediterranean (Morocco and Tunisia). OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Bycatch in the Med and Black Sea Drift nets (tuna, swordfish) in the Mediterranean Sea (legally banned since 2002, but still used illegally in some areas): Common dolphins, Striped dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, Sperm whales A. Dede/TUDAV Bottom setnets (turbot, dogfish) in the Black Sea: Harbour porpoises, Bottlenose dolphins P. Goldin OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Legislative tools • National Fisheries Law & Environmental Law • International/regional agreements: CBD, CMS, ACCOBAMS, FAO/GFCM*, Barcelona Convention (Med), Bucharest Convention (Black Sea), EU Member States implementing the Habitats Directive, MSFD • European Council Regulation (EC) No. 812/2004 • Code of Conduct for Sustainable Fisheries (FAO) 1995 Monitoring and Mitigation GFCM* General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Regional/International cooperation • • Cetaceans are highly migratory To harmonize the data collection methodology To avoid duplication of work To share the best available technology v A Joint Bycatch Working Group (JBWG) of ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS v Regional cooperation with SPA/RAC, BS Commission, FAO/GFCM v International cooperation with IWC OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Joint initiatives towards monitoring and mitigating interactions beween vulnerable species and fisheries “multitaxa approach” Duration: End 2017 – Mid 2020 Funded by: OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Project objectives Carry out a regional review on incidental catches of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean Develop standardised protocols for data collection of bycatch of vulnerable species (marine mammals, seabirds, elasmobranchs, sea turtles) : to be used in the entire ACCOBAMS area Develop and train national teams of bycatch experts, comprising staff from national institutions, universities and NGOs Implement a monitoring programme of incidental catches of vulnerable species across 3 different countries for 3 fishing gears; building trust between bycatch experts and the fishing industry, through port visits, questionnaires and on board work to record bycatch Understand the bycatch problem at fine spatial scales, including problematic gears, gear configurations, fleets and vessels

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Project objectives Develop and maintain a pan-Mediterranean bycatch database Raise awareness for key stakeholders on the importance of the issue and solutions available Define and test a toolbox of mitigation measures and determine if individual/multi taxa bycatch can be reduced Work to strengthen fisheries management and fisheries policy across the focal countries and across the Mediterranean through GFCM. Develop a Mediterranean strategy on the priorities for 2020 -2030, scoping the key needs and opportunities for region-wide uptake of mitigation.

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Area of implementation The project's on-the-ground work will focus on three separate countries: Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey and in each case will involve collaborations between national fisheries institutes, local NGOs and fishers and fishing associations. Although data collection and testing will be focused in three countries, the goal will be to use this project to develop standardised methods for recording bycatch to be implemented across the Mediterranean and develop solutions which can be eventually adopted in the whole region.

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Methodologies Standard protocols being finalized by GFCM, developed on the basis of inputs provided by partners for each taxa Will be shared with scientific committee, national focal points, experts and relevant stakeholders for comments and possible integrations Trainings are based on standard protocols Quantifying the bycatch rate of vulnerable species is particularly complicated given that fisheries do not systematically report these captures, often despite national and international obligations, and observer programmes do not cover the entirety of a fleet and are patchy in space and time.

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Fishing Gears To be examined demersal trawl gillnets longlines

Multi-taxa Bycatch project Sampling design As measuring all members of a population is hardly feasible, there is a need to do some kind of sampling The monitoring programme should be designed taking into account the spatial (GSA) and temporal (quarterly) variability

Bycatch mitigation measures Ideally, fishing methods known to cause cetacean bycatch should be prohibited. But this is not very realistic… • Fishing gear modification • Acoustic deterrents Zero bycatch!! • Spatio-temporal closure of fishing OSPAR-HELCOM workshop to examine possibilities for developing indicators for incidental bycatch of birds and marine mammals

Thank you for your attention…. .