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Bycatch
The bycatch of fishery resources, marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, and other living marine resources has become a central concern of the commercial and recreational fishing industries, resource managers, conservation organizations, scientists, and the public, both nationally and globally. During the past 26 years, the regional fishery management councils (the councils) and NMFS have responded to this concern by taking a variety of actions to address the issue of bycatch. The actions have included research to develop better methods for monitoring and reducing bycatch, outreach programs to explain the bycatch problem and search for solutions, and regulatory actions to monitor and decrease bycatch. Congress has responded to this concern by addressing bycatch in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act. For example, National Standard 9 was added to the MSA when it was amended in 1996. It states that "Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent practicable, (A) minimize bycatch and (B) to the extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such bycatch."
National Bycatch Strategy
- Evaluating Bycatch: A National Approach to Standardized Bycatch Monitoring Programs [final draft report] (.PDF)
- NOAA Fisheries Objectives, Protocol, and Recommended Precision Goals for Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodologies [final draft version] (.PDF)
- Annual Report of the Activities of the International Bycatch Reduction Task Force
- NOAA Fisheries Current Bycatch Priorities and Implementation Plans
- Press Release (.PDF) Strategy (.PDF)
- Oceana petition for bycatch rulemaking (February 28, 2002) (.PDF)
- Notice of petition receipt and request for comments (April 18, 2002) (.PDF)
- Notice of Decision: Response to Oceana Petition, March 6, 2003 (.PDF)
What's New
Recent Regulatory Actions--Fisheries
Recently proposed or finalized NOAA Fisheries regulatory actions
designed to reduce fisheries bycatch.
Recent Regulatory Actions--Protected Resources
Recently proposed or finalized NOAA Fisheries regulatory
actions designed to reduce protected resources bycatch.
Summary of
International Activities Related to Reduction of Bycatch of Sea Turtles
in Longline Fisheries (.PDF)
To keep members of the International Bycatch Reduction Task Force and others
within NOAA Fisheries current, a table summarizing international activities related
to the reduction of bycatch of sea turtles in longline fisheries has been developed.
This table is maintained and regularly updated by the NOAA Fisheries Office of
Protected Resources. The table is not an exhaustive compendium of all global
research relative to sea turtle longline interactions, but is meant to summarize
activities undertaken by involved NOAA Fisheries staff and partnering research
entities.
Public Comment Re-Opened for Rulemaking Petition to Protect Deep-Sea Coral
and Sponge Habitat
NMFS announces re-opening of the public comment period on the rulemaking
petition to protect deep-sea coral and sponge habitat to ensure thorough
public comment. Comments will be accepted through October 15, 2004.
Large Whale
Gear Competition: Proposals Requested 
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA Fisheries are
now accepting proposals, in cooperation with the Northeast Consortium
and the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, for The Large Whale Gear
Competition. The purpose of this team competition is to develop innovative
fishing
gear or gear modifications that decrease the incidence of entanglement
of large whales, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Selected teams will receive grants up to US$10,000 to build gear prototypes,
as well as travel stipends, to test their gear at sea with commercial
New England fishermen. Letters of Intent to participate in the program
are due to NFWF by December 1, 2004.
NOAA Fisheries Issues An Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking To Further Reduce Atlantic Sea Turtle Bycatch and Mortality –Comments
Due by October 12, 2004
NOAA Fisheries is considering adjustments to the regulations governing
the Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) pelagic longline fishery. NOAA
Fisheries has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to
request comments on potential regulatory changes intended to further reduce
bycatch and bycatch mortality of sea turtles and the feasibility of framework
mechanisms to address unanticipated increases in sea turtle interactions
and mortalities should they occur. For further information or a copy of
the ANPR or related documents, contact Russell Dunn, 727-570-5447 or visit
the HMS Management Division ’s web page.
NOAA Issues Grants To Support West Coast Groundfish Observer Program And
Improved Data Collection
In August 2004, NOAA granted over $3.4 million to continue to support
the collaboration between NOAA Fisheries and Pacific States Marine Fisheries
Commission in providing West Coast Groundfish Observers. The grant will
allow PSMFC to assist in providing coast-wide, year-round data collection
on groundfish discards by gear, area and season.
NOAA Fisheries Publishes the 2004 MMPA List of Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries has updated its annual list of commercial fisheries that
interact with marine mammals, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection
Act (MMPA). The List of Fisheries categorizes each U.S. commercial fishery
based on the level of interaction each fishery has with marine mammals.
Each fishery is placed into one of three categories according to whether
it has a frequent (Category I), occasional (Category II), or remote (Category
III) likelihood of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals.
Nearly $1.8 Million Awarded to Develop Selective Fishing Gear Development
and Practices in the Northeast
NOAA Fisheries Northeast Cooperative Research Program has awarded nearly
$1.8 million to seven research teams working to develop fishing gear and
practices that may increase options for using limited groundfish days-at-sea.
There is presently only one program in which vessels can use so-called "B" days,
but more are being planned by the New England Fishery Management Council.
The projects selected for funding will support these development efforts,
testing fishing gear that may selectively catch fish from healthier stocks,
or providing other information that can be used to define a program where
B days can be used.
Final Rule to Implement New Sea Turtle Bycatch and Bycatch Mortality for
All Atlantic Vessels That Have Pelagic Longline Gear Onboard and That
Have Been Issued or Are Required to Have Federal HMS Limited Access Permits
(July
6, 2004) (.PDF)
NOAA Fisheries bans “J” hooks in Atlantic longline fisheries
in a move to protect sea turtles; new gear and techniques allow agency to
re-open Atlantic Grand Banks fishing grounds to U.S. longline fleet.
Marine Turtle Conservation Act is signed into law
On Friday, July 2, 2004, President Bush signed the Marine Turtle Conservation
Act into law. Under the new law, sea turtles will be added to the list
of species eligible for funding under the Multinational Species Conservation
Fund. That fund supports on-the-ground protection, research and education
efforts. NOAA and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife share jurisdiction for
the conservation of marine turtles, with Fish & Wildlife focusing
on protecting nesting beaches while NOAA Fisheries works to conserve and
recover turtles in their marine environments.
Final Rule to Implement Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Scallop Fishery Management
Plan, June 23, 2004
Amendment 10 includes a long-term, comprehensive program to manage the
sea scallop fishery through area rotation management that will maximize
scallop yield. This rule also includes measures to minimize the adverse
effects of fishing on Essential Fish Habitat to the extent practicable.
Amendment 10 also includes updated days-at-sea (DAS) allocations and
measures to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable.
Final Rule Amending Regulations Establishing Pollock Maximum Retainable Amounts (MRAs) (.PDF)
This rule adjusts the MRA enforcement period for pollock harvested in the Bering
Sea and Aleutian Islands management area from enforcement at anytime during
a fishing trip to enforcement at the time of pffload. This action is necessary to reduce regulatory discards of pollock caught incidentally in the directed
fisheries for non-pollock groundfish species. The intended effect of this
action is to better use incidentally caught pollock in accordance with the goals
and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act.
Final Rule to Prohibit the Use of Certain Pound
Net Leaders to Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch in Chesapeake
Bay (.PDF)
Under the new rules, no "offshore" pound net leaders
may be used between May 6 through July 15 annually in a portion
of the lower bay. Each
spring, hundreds of sea turtles migrate north along the Atlantic coast
and into the Chesapeake Bay, where they forage throughout the summer on
the Bay’s rich marine life. During May and June in recent years, the
agency has documented sea turtles in pound net leaders, as well as high
numbers of stranded sea turtles around the bay.
International
Smart Gear Competition
Enter your design for smarter fishing gear and be eligible for the $25,000 grand
prize, as well as help in bringing your design to market. The International Smart
Gear Competition brings together scientists and fishermen to solve these problems
collaboratively, by marshalling the creativity and ingenuity of the fishing industry,
gear technologists, and others. Judges include John Watson of NOAA Fisheries.
Final Rule for Amendment 13A to the Fishery Management Plan for the
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (.PDF)
This rule extends regulations that prohibit fishing for and retention
of
snapper-grouper species within the Oculina Experimental Closed Area for
an indefinite period. The measures in the final rule will continue to
protect snapper-grouper populations; delicate, slow-growing Oculina
coral; and associated habitat.
Final Rule to re-open the Hawaii-based pelagic longline swordfish
fishery (.PDF)
This final rule eliminates a seasonal closure for longline fishing in
an
area south of the Hawaiian Islands and reopens the swordfish-directed
component of the Hawaii-based longline fishery. In
order to minimize adverse impacts on sea turtles, the swordfish
component of the Hawaii-based longline fishery will be subject to
restrictions on the types of hooks and bait that may be used, annual
fleet-wide limits on fishery interactions with leatherback and
loggerhead sea turtles, an annual fleet-wide limit on fishing effort,
and other mitigation measures.
Final Rule to implement new fishery management plan for highly migratory
species off the West Coast of the United States (.PDF)
This final rule will prevent overfishing of the fish stocks to the extent
practicable and achieve optimum yield for the U.S. fisheries involved while
minimizing bycatch and protected species interactions consistent with the
Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law.
Final Rule to prohibit shallow longline fishing for swordfish by U.S. fishing
vessels operating out of the West Coast (.PDF)
This final rule, designed to protect endangered and threatened sea turtles,
applies to U.S. longline fishing vessels based in California, Oregon, or
Washington that operate on the high seas east of 150 degrees west longitude,
or generally the area between the West Coast and Hawaii.
Management Measures to Reduce Seabird
Incidental Take in the Alaska Hook-and-Line Halibut and Groundfish Fisheries
(.PDF)
This action is intended to improve the current requirements and further mitigate
interactions with the short-tailed albatross (an endangered species) and with
other seabird species in hook-and-line fisheries in and off Alaska.
Final Rule to Implement Amendment
10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of
Mexico (.PDF)
This final rule requires, with limited exceptions, the use of NMFS-certified
bycatch reduction devices in shrimp trawls in the Gulf of Mexico exclusive
economic zone east of Cape San Blas, Florida.
Final
Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish,
and Sharks (.PDF)
Final actions include, among other things: using maximum sustainable yield
as a basis for setting commercial quotas, adjusting the recreational bag
and size limits, establishing gear restrictions to reduce bycatch or reduce
bycatch mortality, and establishing a time/area closure off the coast of
North Carolina.
Western Pacific (WP) bycatch provisions: Amendment 6 (Supplement) to the
FMP for the Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish Fisheries of the WP Region
and Amendment 8 to the FMP for the Pelagic Fisheries of the WP Region (.PDF)
and Appendix (.PDF).
Definitions
Bycatch: "fish which are harvested in a fishery, but which are not sold or kept for personal use, and includes economic discards and regulatory discards. Such term does not include fish released alive under a recreational catch and release fishery management program" –Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) Section 3(2) (1996)
Bycatch: "Discarded catch of any living marine resource plus retained incidental catch and unobserved mortality due to a direct encounter with fishing gear." --Managing the Nation's Bycatch (1998)
What does "to the extent practicable mean"? From a National perspective, there is too much bycatch mortality in a fishery if a reduction in bycatch mortality would increase the overall net benefit of that fishery to the Nation through alternative uses of the bycatch species. In this case, a reduction in bycatch mortality is practicable and the excess bycatch mortality is a wasteful use of living marine resources. In many cases, it may be possible but not practicable to eliminate all bycatch and bycatch mortality.
The Bycatch Problem
Bycatch mortality can decrease the sustainability of fisheries and the net benefits provided by the fisheries in several ways. First, if bycatch mortality is not monitored adequately, it increases the uncertainty concerning total fishing-related mortality, which in turn makes it more difficult to assess the status of stocks to (1) set the appropriate optimum yield and overfishing levels and (2) ensure that the optimum yields are attained and that the overfishing does not occur. Second, if discards are sufficiently concentrated in time and space, they will result in localized environmental degradation. Third, bycatch mortality precludes some other uses of fishery resources. For example, juvenile fish that are subject to bycatch mortality cannot be used to contribute directly to the growth of that stock and to future catch. Bycatch is a wasteful use of living marine resources if it precludes a higher valued use of those resources.
If bycatch could be decreased at no cost, bycatch would be neither a complex nor contentious fishery management problem, and bycatch would simply be eliminated. The bycatch problem is complex, in part, because an action that is taken to reduce the bycatch of one species can increase that of another, or an action that is taken to decrease one type of bycatch mortality can increase another type. It is a contentious issue, in part, because actions to reduce bycatch mortality typically change the distribution of the net benefits from the fisheries.
Species-Specific Regulations, Policies (click image)
International Activities
NMFS has also pursued cooperative efforts with other nations and international organizations to address bycatch problems beyond U.S. waters. Learn about various international bycatch activities.
Research and Monitoring
Northeast Distant
Fishery Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction Project
From 2001 through 2003, in cooperation with Blue Water Fishermen's Association
and the Fisheries Research Institute, NOAA Fisheries worked to test various fishing
methods, such as bait and gear type, to determine which combinations worked best
to minimize sea turtle encounters in pelagic longline fisheries.
Experiments
in the Western Atlantic Northeast distant waters to evaluate sea turtle
mitigation measures in the pelagic longline fishery (.PDF)
The report summaries the research results for three years of research (2001-2003).
Nearly
$1.8 Million Awarded to Develop Selective Fishing Gear Development and
Practices in the Northeast
NOAA Fisheries Northeast Cooperative Research Program has awarded nearly
$1.8 million to seven research teams working to develop fishing gear and
practices
that may increase options for using limited groundfish days-at-sea. There is
presently only one program in which vessels can use so-called "B" days,
but more are being planned by the New England Fishery Management Council. The
projects selected for funding will support these development efforts, testing
fishing gear that may selectively catch fish from healthier stocks, or providing
other information that can be used to define a program where B days can be used.
NOAA Fisheries’ Cooperative
Research Program
In FY 1999, the Northeast Regional Office of NOAA Fisheries developed
the Cooperative Research Partners Initiative (CRPI) to formalize and expand
collaborative research among New England's commercial fishing industry,
marine science and fishery management communities. The goal of this initiative
is to enhance the data upon which fishery management decisions are made
as well as to facilitate communication and collaboration among New England
commercial fishermen, scientists, and fishery managers. CRPI projects,
among other things, aim to provide more detailed information on fish stocks,
marine habitat, and bycatch reduction through the use of more selective
fishing gears.
NOAA Fisheries Northeast Region Cooperative Research Partners Initiative: Project listing and project status Includes numerous bycatch reduction projects.
FY 2002 Saltonstall-Kennedy funding recommendations (.PDF), including almost $978,000 in grants to study innovative ways to reduce bycatch through gear modifications
National Observer Program General information about NMFS observer programs as well as links to all of the regional NMFS observer program websites.
Saltonstall-Kennedy
Grant Program bycatch projects: Under the Saltonstall-Kennedy
(S-K) Act, as amended, grants and cooperative agreements are awarded
by NOAA Fisheries to assist in carrying out research and development projects
related to the U.S. commercial and recreational fishing industry, including
fisheries bycatch projects.
Reports and Articles
Bycatch of Sea Turtles in the Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus)
Dredge Fishery during 2003
During 2003, fisheries observers aboard commercial vessels in the sea
scallop dredge fishery documented sea turtle bycatch in the Mid-Atlantic
region, from Long Island, New York to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This
study utilizes Generalized Linear Model and Generalized Additive Model fitting
techniques to identify environmental factors and gear characteristics that
influence bycatch rates of sea turtles in the 2003 Mid-Atlantic scallop
dredge fishery, and predicts total bycatch in this area during June-November
2003.
NOAA Fisheries Northeast Bycatch Workshop Proceedings Document (.PDF)
NOAA Fisheries announces the release of the proceedings document of the
2004 Northeast Regional Bycatch Workshop organized by the NOAA Fisheries
Northeast Regional Office (NERO) and co-sponsored by NERO and NOAA Northeast
and Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center, New England Fishery Management Council, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The
159-page proceedings, Bycatch in Northeast Fisheries: Moving Forward,
documents general and specific recommendations suggested by over 200 workshop
participants regarding bycatch priorities related to management, science
and research, data and monitoring, and gear technology.
Why Should We Help Russians Avoid Albatross? Our fisheries could be shut down if we don't. (PDF)
NOAA Fisheries Saving Sea Turtles through Education. An article from the November 2003 issue of NOAA Report
NMFS
Fisheries Observer Coverage Level Workshop (.PDF)
Summary report of July 2003 workshop to discuss observer coverage levels and
needs.
Final MARFIN Report
(June 2003) --An Integrated Economic Analysis of Alternative Bycatch,
Commercial, and Recreational Policies for the Recovery of Gulf of Mexico
Red Snapper (The contents of this report do not necessarily represent
the views of NOAA Fisheries.)
Understanding Fish Bycatch Discard And Escapee Mortality (.PDF): This article summarizes discard and escapee mortality research over the past 10 years at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
2nd International Fisheries Forum summary (.PDF) This
document summarizes issues and perspectives discussed at the November
2002 meeting in Honolulu
that brought together international fisherman, managers, and scientists
to discuss seabird and sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries.
Preliminary Results from research in the Atlantic Shows How Adjustments in Gear, Fishing Practice Can Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch In the Pelagic Longline Fishery Continuing efforts to aid the recovery of sea turtle populations, a team of NOAA scientists and U.S. fishermen has completed the first two years of a three-year research program that has tested five potential bycatch reduction techniques during 687 research sets on the Grand Banks in the Western North Atlantic.
NMFS National Standing Working Group on Fishing Technology: Report of First Meeting, March 6-7, 2002 (.PDF). The mission of the NMFS National Working Group on Fishing Technology is to promote the development and use of innovative technologies and methodologies to reduce the impact of harvesting and recreational gear on critical habitats and improve selectivity of fishing gear by reducing bycatch and interaction with protected species.
January 2002-December 2002 U.S. Fisheries Bycatch Reduction Standards and Measures Relevant to Section 202(h)
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Solutions
to Seabird Bycatch in Alaska's Demersal Longline Fisheries Report
on a research program that compared seabird bycatch mitigation strategies
over two years (1999 and 2000) in 2 major demersal Alaska longline fisheries.
Report to Congress: Southeastern United States Shrimp Trawl Bycatch Program This report responds to Congressional requirements imposed pursuant to Section 405(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which require the Secretary of Commerce to complete its ongoing shrimp trawl bycatch program and submit a detailed report to Congress.
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Managing the Nation's Bycatch (.WPD, .PDF) This comprehensive 1998 national bycatch plan, which had been out of print, was developed by NMFS with public comment over an 18-month period by a planning team made up of fisheries managers and scientists from all of the NMFS administrative regions. |
Regional Bycatch Summaries/Data
South Atlantic fisheries bycatch overview
Gulf of Mexico fisheries bycatch overview
Caribbean fisheries bycatch overview
Western Pacific fisheries bycatch overview
California/Oregon drift gillnet fishery observer program data summaries
Northeast and Southeast Region marine mammal-fisheries interaction overview
Southwest Region marine mammal-fisheries interaction overview
Current Alaska seabird bycatch estimates
Hawaii longline observer program status reports
Related Laws
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Public Law 94-265, as amended through October 11, 1996) An act to provide for the conservation and management of the fisheries, and for other purposes; Sections 2, 202, 301, and 405 are among those that deal with bycatch.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 The ESA provides for the conservation of species which are in danger of endangerment or extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend; Section 7 is very relevant to fisheries bycatch issues.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 Section 118 is most relevant to fisheries bycatch issues.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
Meetings
4th
International Fisheries Observer Conference, November 8-11, 2004
The conference will provide a platform for facilitated discussion of the role
of observer programs as management, compliance and scientific programs, and the
current applications, limitations and future uses of observers at sea. The conference
also includes a pre-conference workshop entitled "Development of Best Practices
for the Collection of Longline Data to Facilitate Research and Analysis to Reduce
Bycatch." You can learn more about this workshop by clicking HERE (.PDF).
3rd International
Albatross and Petrel Conference, 23-27 August, 2004
This conference in Uruguay, which is cosponsored by NOAA Fisheries, should
include many seabird bycatch-related presentations, posters, sessions,
and workshops. NOAA Fisheries is pleased to support workshop at the conference
entitled, "Quantifying Seabird Bycatch: A Global Perspective",
organized by Dr. Rebecca Lewison, Duke University. The objective of the
workshop is to use this conference as a venue to facilitate coordination
and collaboration among the network of scientists working on seabird
bycatch. You can learn more about this workshop by clicking HERE (.PDF)
Workshop--Bycatch
in Northeast Fisheries: Moving Forward (June 29-July 1, 2004)
The public is invited to attend the Northeast Regional Bycatch Workshop organized
by the National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Office (NERO) and
co-sponsored by NERO and NOAA Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant in cooperation
with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, New England Fishery Management Council,
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission. Representatives from these agencies will collaborate and work together
with fishery constituents to specifically address regional bycatch issues.
Related Sites
Fishery management councils and commissions NOAA Fisheries relies on a
diverse array of partnerships to help reduce fisheries bycatch, and this
site contains links to some of our most prominent partners.
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