Review of the occurrence and management of Sotalia bycatch in Central and South American coastal and riverine fisheries: priorities for immediate action
Bolaños-Jimenez, J.; Siciliano, S.; Zerbini, A.N.; Van Waerebeek, K. (2006). Review of the occurrence and management of Sotalia bycatch in Central and South American coastal and riverine fisheries: priorities for immediate action, in: Siciliano, S. et al. Workshop on research and conservation of the genus Sotalia - Book of abstracts. pp. 9 In: Siciliano, S. et al. (2006). Workshop on research and conservation of the genus Sotalia - Book of abstracts. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FIOCRUZ: Rio de Janeiro. 62 pp., more |  |
| Available in | Authors | | Document type: Summary
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| Authors | | Top | - Bolaños-Jimenez, J.
- Siciliano, S.
- Zerbini, A.N.
- Van Waerebeek, K., more
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| Abstract | Despite the fact that cetacean bycatch has been acknowledged as the “greatest immediate and well documented threat to the survival of cetacean species and populations… …progress at reducing the scale and conservation impact of cetacean bycatch has been slow, sporadic, and limited to a few specific fisheries or circumstances “. In this paper, we 1) Review the occurrence of Sotalia bycatch all along its distribution area, 2) Examine how the problem has been addressed in some areas and 3) Outline some priority actions for conservation of the genus regarding management of bycatch issues. A recent review of cetacean bycatch in the Wider Caribbean Region indicates that mortality of Sotalia in fisheries-related operations with gillnets occurs in Colombia, French Guyana, Honduras, Surinam and Venezuela. Bycatch is also reported in Brazil, Nicaragua and Peru. Some mitigative measures including a ban on fisheries in protected areas, monitoring programs and field surveys for evaluation of bycatch have been made or are planned in Costa Rica and Venezuela. In Brazil, bycatch of Sotalia has been widely documented in coastal areas and also in the Amazon River Basin. In this country, an official action plan for the conservation of aquatic mammals includes specific recommendations to evaluate the impact of bycatch and to develop mitigative measures. According to recent statistics, most of cetacean bycatch worldwide occurs in gillnet fisheries. A precautionary approach suggests that – to protect Sotalia and other cetacean populations-these fisheries should be either regulated, monitored, limited or -in some instances – banned, taking into account that creative solutions should be provided by means of collaborative efforts between resource managers, fishermen, scientists and interested parties. On the other side, because of the socioeconomic aspects involved in such a decision, appropriate alternatives and/or incentives as well as local characteristics of some fisheries must be properly considered. |
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