Project GloBAL

In collaboration with Duke University, USA

Bycatch of marine mammals and sea turtles in fishing nets is a global concern. Yet, very little is known about bycatch in certain regions of the world (e.g., Africa and Southern Asia). A few areas have documented the serious consequences of bycatch (e.g.dugongs in the Western Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in shark nets in South Africa, and Atlantic humpback dolphins in Senegal and Gambia).

At a recent workshop in Mayotte (Incidental Catch of Non-Target Species: Problems and mitigation measures), researchers agreed that a rapid assessment of gillnet and trawl fisheries and associated bycatch was one of the highest priorities for the Western Indian Ocean region. Several of those researchers, including C3, and others from West Africa and Southeast Asia are now collaborating on a rapid assessment protocol which would allow for these data to be collected. A review of this protocol by the researchers in the region will prove valuable to the success of implementing such a protocol on a larger scale.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of this project is to develop and test a protocol for rapid assessment that quantifies and maps artisanal fishing effort and catch of sea turtles and marine mammals in data-deficient areas. Specific objectives include:

(1) To develop a sampling protocol specific to Comoros that will be a representative sample of fishing in that country.

(2) To interview fishers in various fishing villages in the Comoros regarding fishing effort and catch.

(3) To compile and report those data to Project GloBAL.

(4) To assess the efficacy of the rapid assessment protocol and evaluate its applicability on a broader regional scale.