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Illustration of ropeless (vertical line-free) fishing gear. Upon receiving an acoustic trigger, a buoy and endline attached to a trap at the end of a trawl deploys for retrieval or a lift bag inflates and brings the attached trap to the surface. Endlines are only used during gear retrieval, or not at all if a lift bag is used. A virtual trap marker visible on a screen in the vessel would replace the marker buoy. Credit: Natalie Renier, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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The 2017 North Atlantic right whale (NARW) unusual mortality event and an increase in humpback whale entanglements off the U.S. West Coast have driven significant interest in ropeless trap/pot fishing. Removing the vertical buoy lines used to mark traps on the sea floor and haul them up would dramatically reduce or eliminate entanglements, the lead...
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Context 1
... protective measures to date have been insufficient. Therefore, NMFS and the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team are considering additional measures to protect NARWs, such as expanded time-area closures, use of reduced breaking strength ropes, and ropeless fishing (defined as gear that does not use vertical buoy lines prior to gear retrieval; Fig. ...
Citations
... North Atlantic right whales (NARWs) are one of the most endangered whale species on Earth, with an estimated population of around 356 (+7/−10) individuals and fewer than 70 calving mothers [1]. Entanglement in commercial fishing gear is one of the main causes of mortality for NARWs and a major factor inhibiting the recovery of this species [2,3]. Evidence indicates that any vertical line rising into the water column poses a significant entanglement risk for large whales [4], with trap/pot gear used in the lobster and crab fisheries posing the greatest risk [2,5]. ...
... Entanglement in commercial fishing gear is one of the main causes of mortality for NARWs and a major factor inhibiting the recovery of this species [2,3]. Evidence indicates that any vertical line rising into the water column poses a significant entanglement risk for large whales [4], with trap/pot gear used in the lobster and crab fisheries posing the greatest risk [2,5]. The rate of entanglement for NARWs increased between 1980 and 2009, in part due to innovation and the adoption of ropes with higher tensile strength in many fisheries [6,7]. ...
Entanglement in commercial fishing gear is one of the main factors inhibiting the recovery of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Installing low-breaking-strength (LBS) components in the buoy lines and main lines of stationary fishing gear may be a viable solution for some fisheries. But is it an effective solution for deep-water trap fisheries? This study quantified in-line rope tensions observed during fishing operations for snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We conducted a controlled fishing experiment in which we documented the loads experienced while hauling fleets of traps. The results showed that several factors contributed to the loads observed, including the components of the traps, the presence of crabs, and environmental conditions such as wind direction and wave height. According to the statistical models, the maximum tension from the estimated marginal means was 477.53 kgf in the buoy line and 987.99 kgf in the main line for the baited hauls, which exceeds the safe working load (154 kgf) of the proposed low-breaking-strength components. Our results suggest that LBS components are not a viable solution for this deep-water fishery.
... In addition, it must be pointed out that it is difficult to distinguish between active and derelict fishing gear, once it is carried by an entangled animal (Baulch andPerry 2014, Laist 1997). Therefore, many baleen whale entanglements may likely be caused by interaction with active gear , Laist 1997, including the frequently entangled North Atlantic right whales (Laist 1997, Myers 2019 and Humpback whales (Myers 2019). Nevertheless, chronic entanglement is considered a potential threat to cetacean populations, which around the Canary Islands concern especially the minke and Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) (Puig-Lozano et al. 2020). ...
... In addition, it must be pointed out that it is difficult to distinguish between active and derelict fishing gear, once it is carried by an entangled animal (Baulch andPerry 2014, Laist 1997). Therefore, many baleen whale entanglements may likely be caused by interaction with active gear , Laist 1997, including the frequently entangled North Atlantic right whales (Laist 1997, Myers 2019 and Humpback whales (Myers 2019). Nevertheless, chronic entanglement is considered a potential threat to cetacean populations, which around the Canary Islands concern especially the minke and Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) (Puig-Lozano et al. 2020). ...
... Entanglement is one of the most frequent causes of serious injuries and death for cetaceans (Carretta et al. 2015). At present, it is driving the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) to the brink of extinction (Myers et al. 2019). Although large whales are commonly entangled in nets (Moore et al. 2013), the most frequent fishery items affecting the North Atlantic right whales are the vertical lines of trap or pot fishery, causing entanglement of mainly mouth and appendages (Myers et al. 2019). ...
The pollution of the oceans with plastic and other anthropogenic litter is alarming, as is evidenced by an abundance of research on marine debris. In contrast, terrestrial anthropogenic litter and its impacts are largely lacking scientific attention. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to find out whether the litter burden is as severe in terrestrial flora and fauna as it is in the ocean. For this purpose, five meadows and the gastric content of 100 slaughtered cattle as well as 50 slaughtered sheep have been examined for persistent man-made debris in Northern Bavaria, Germany (49°18’N, 10°24’E).
All of the five meadows contained garbage, and plastics were always part of it. 521 persistent anthropogenic objects were detected altogether in a total survey area of 139050 m², equalling a litter density of 37.5 items per hectare (3747 items/km²). The litter spectrum included 245 plastic items (17.6 items/ha = 1762 items/km²), with a significantly higher abundance in meadows which were either adjacent to waste dumps or frequently used by pedestrians. The plastic abundance was only, though not significantly, surpassed by glass with 263 items (18.9 items/ha = 1891 items/km²) and significantly underrun by metal with 13 pieces (0.9 items/ha = 93 items/km²). 92.7 % of all the meadow-litter were fragments, 73.3 % represented packaging material, and 75.5 % had documented equivalents in marine debris.
Of the 100 examined cattle, 30 animals harboured anthropogenic foreign bodies in their gastric tract, reaching a total amount of 82 items, with a mean of 0.8 ± 2.5 items per animal. Among the 50 examined sheep, 3 animals (6.0 %) contained a total of 9 anthropogenic items with a mean of 0.2 ± 0.8 objects per sheep. Plastics were the most dominant litter material, encompassing 68.3 % of the man-made objects in the bovine and 100 % in the ovine gastric tracts. Fibres were the most frequent plastic litter type, with a share of 71.4 % of the bovine and 44.4 % of the ovine plastic foreign bodies. Glass, ceramic and metallic objects have also been detected, but only in cattle. 93.9 % of the bovine and 100 % of the ovine anthropogenic foreign bodies were fragments. Two young cows (2.0 %) showed traumatic lesions in the reticulum associated with long pointed metal items, a nail in one cow and two wire fragments in the second one. In three other cattle (3.0 %), metal wires were accompanied by punctual tongue lesions. In the rumen of two other cattle (2.0 %), bezoars had conglomerated around plastic fibres. Stones in the abomasum, mainly in the company of sand, were related to abomasitis geosedimentosa in 9 cattle (9.0 %). In one sheep (2.0 %), a necrotic spot on the ruminal mucosa coincided with the presence of 5 rubber-balloon fragments in the ruminal content.
Altogether 68.2 % of the anthropogenic objects in the bovine and ovine gastric tracts could be traced back to agricultural equipment, mainly wrapping materials from silage, straw or hay bales, while 28.6 % of the foreign bodies originated in common end-consumer products. 26.4 % of the anthropogenic litter items ingested by the studied farm ruminants had direct equivalents in the studied meadows, 30.8 % in the debris of marine environments and 29.7 % in the gastrointestinal foreign bodies of marine animals. At least in this study region, waste pollution affected terrestrial environments and domestic animals, with clear equivalents in the marine world. Ingested foreign bodies produced lesions that may have reduced the animal’s welfare and, regarding commercial purposes, their productivity.
... On-demand, or ropeless, fishing removes these static vertical buoy lines from the water column while allowing fishermen to continue to fish their current gear, reduce entanglements and minimize gear loss. 195,198 The technologies -marking and retrieving traps without buoys or end lines -are currently being explored and tested in both Canada and the US. 199, 200 The development and operational use of ropeless fishing has the promise to eliminate most fixed gear entanglements as well as allow access to closed fishing grounds. ...
Whales rely on critical ocean habitats – areas where they feed, mate, give birth, nurse young, socialise or migrate – for their survival. “Blue corridors” are movement routes for marine megafauna such as whales among different but ecologically interconnected areas essential to their survival.
From the Bering Strait south to the temperate and tropical Pacific to the Antarctic Peninsula, productive oceanographic conditions, features and currents support a diversity of whale populations and their blue corridors, some spanning thousands of kilometers.
... agua, al tiempo que permite a los pescadores continuar pescando sus artes actuales, reducir los enredos y minimizar la pérdida de artes. 195,198 Estas tecnologías -etiquetado y recuperación de trampas sin boyas ni cabos-se están estudiando y probando actualmente tanto en Canadá como en Estados Unidos. 199, 200 El desarrollo y el uso operativo de la pesca sin red promete eliminar la mayoría de los enredos con artes fijos, así como permitir el acceso a caladeros cerrados. ...
Palacios, D., Felix, F.,Montecinos, Y., Nájera, E., Kelez, S., Samaniego, J., Velásquez, P., Zapata, L., Lancaster, M., Johnson, C., Friedlaender, A., Castro, C., Quintana, E., Bermúdez-Rivas, C., Villamil, C., Casas, J.J., Sepúlveda, M., Benites, L., Flórez-González, L., Rojas-Bracho, L., Medrano-Gonzales, L., Santillan, L., Aguilar, R., Reisinger, R., Pineda, L., Pacheco, A., Ávila, I.C., Pérez-Ortega, B., Acevedo, J., Haase, B., López, R.M., Sánchez, C., Botero, N., Campbell, E., Pacheco, J.D., Pelayo, L., Carnero, R., De Weerdt, J., Pozo, M., Frisch, A., Gómez, S., González, A.M., Angulo, S., Bueno, P., & Fernández, J.A. (2023). Corredor Azul del Pacifico Oriental Oportunidades y acciones para la protección de ballenas migratorias [Blue Corridor of the Eastern Pacific: Opportunities and Actions for the protection of Migratory Whales]. Informe técnico. Fondo Mundial para la Naturaleza (WWF). 72p.
... Alternatively, variations of ropeless or pop-up gear (e.g., inflatable bags or bottom-stored ropes that surface only during expected fishing activity, Lebon and Kelly, 2019), would reduce or eliminate the amount of time vertical lines associated with pot gear would spend in the water. However, the challenges associated with widespread adoption of ropeless or pop-up gear include high costs for both managers and the fleet, reliability and/or compatibility of technical components across manufacturers and systems, and the complex combination of policy, management, and enforcement considerations that must be addressed to ensure compliance and achievement of fishery management goals (Myers et al., 2019;Stevens, 2021). ...
Recovering marine animal populations and climate-driven shifts in their distributions are colliding with growing ocean use by humans. One such example is the bycatch of whales in commercial fishing, which poses a significant threat to the conservation and continued recovery of these protected animals and is a major barrier to sustainable fisheries. Long-lasting solutions to this problem need to be robust to variability in ecological dynamics while also addressing socio-cultural and economic concerns. We assessed the efficacy of gear reductions as an entanglement mitigation strategy during 2019 and 2020 in the highly valuable Dungeness crab fishery (Washington State, USA) in terms of changes in the entanglement risk to protected blue and humpback whales, and in terms of economic consequences for the fishery. Using a combination of fishery logbooks, landings data, and whale habitat models, we found that in the two seasons with mandatory crab pot reductions, entanglement risk was reduced by up to 20 % for blue whales, and 78 % for humpback whales, compared to seasons with no regulations. Spatio-temporal variability in the distribution of each whale species was a key factor in determining risk. Importantly, the conservation measure did not have a substantial negative effect on fleet-level fishery performance metrics, despite a reduction in fishing effort. Results indicated that a simple, fixed management strategy achieved the desired conservation goals in an economically sustainable way. Our findings underscore the value of carefully considering the dynamic nature of species' spatial distributions and key social and economic impacts that together determine conservation efficacy.
... Obligation to Find and Retrieve FAO [16] advises that owners and operators should be encouraged to "make every reasonable effort" to retrieve ALDFG Is there an obligation for fishers or vessels to find and retrieve derelict fishing gear? United States has, for several years, been researching the use of ropeless technology for trap fisheries [3,49,53,71]. Explored ropeless technological replacements include GPS and acoustic marking systems as well as bottom stowed retrieval designs each of which has been shown to provide strong options for eliminating right whale entanglements [53]. However, if not carefully managed, the deployment of ropeless traps may result in trap "layover" of different sets, especially in crowded fishing grounds, thus requiring the use of "robust virtual trap markers" to reduce this risk [49]. ...
... United States has, for several years, been researching the use of ropeless technology for trap fisheries [3,49,53,71]. Explored ropeless technological replacements include GPS and acoustic marking systems as well as bottom stowed retrieval designs each of which has been shown to provide strong options for eliminating right whale entanglements [53]. However, if not carefully managed, the deployment of ropeless traps may result in trap "layover" of different sets, especially in crowded fishing grounds, thus requiring the use of "robust virtual trap markers" to reduce this risk [49]. ...
The issue of abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a complex global challenge that affects not only industrial fleets but small-scale fisheries as well. Having been described as perhaps the most dangerous form of marine litter, it is important to not only understand the scale and nature of the problem globally but whether existing management regimes can respond to this complex issue.
For the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, as in several other regions of the world, research has shown that there are significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of ALDFG and its management. This research has focused on discerning the legislative, regulatory and policy gaps associated with the management of ALDFG in small-scale fisheries of several Eastern Caribbean States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). Through an examination of national fisheries, pollution, solid waste and environmental protection laws as well as policies related to marine litter and/or fisheries a number of weaknesses have been identified in the legal, regulatory and policy landscape for these islands as it relates to the management of ALDFG. These weaknesses have been borne out in outdated and missing fisheries laws, ineffective marine pollution instruments that lack provisions focused on marine-sources of waste, as well as the complexities related to the multi-gear nature of the sub-region’s fisheries. Improvements to the legal, regulatory and policy framework for the management of ALDFG in the Eastern Caribbean will aid in curbing the proliferation and adverse impacts of ALDFG in the region. However this must be accompanied by targeted research to understand not only the scale of the challenge but the drivers of loss. This will assist in the defining of purpose-fit solutions to a complex challenge.
... The caveat of this strategy is that dynamic zone closures require spatially and temporally explicit information on whale density and fishing effort which can be costly to attain. The use of ropeless gear has also been suggested as an alternative whale entanglement mitigation measure that requires further research and development before being initiated as an alternative regulatory tool 60 . The costs of monitoring or technical advancements however may outweigh the financial and societal cost of fishery closures. ...
Whale entanglements with fishing gear, exacerbated by changing environmental conditions, pose significant risk to whale populations. Management tools used to reduce entanglement risk, for example temporary area restrictions on fishing, can have negative economic consequences for fishing communities. Balancing whale protection with sustaining productive fisheries is therefore a challenge experienced worldwide. In the California Current Ecosystem, ecosystem indicators have been used to understand the environmental dynamics that lead to increased whale entanglement risk in a lucrative crab fishery. However, an assessment of socioeconomic risk for this fishery, as in many other regions, is missing. We estimate retrospectively the losses from ex-vessel revenue experienced by commercial Dungeness crab fishers in California during two seasons subject to whale entanglement mitigation measures using a Linear-Cragg hurdle modeling approach which incorporated estimates of pre-season crab abundance. In the 2020 fishing season, our results suggest total revenues would have been 9.4 million higher in the Central Management Area and $0.3 million higher in the Northern Management Area. Our evaluation should motivate the development of strategies which maximize whale protection whilst promoting productive, sustainable and economically-viable fisheries.
... Approaches including seasonal closures, weak links (in and between lines and buoys), sinking groundlines (lines between traps), and more traps per trawl may have helped -but have not solved -the problem of lethal entanglements (Pace et al., 2014;Baumgartner et al., 2019). Because of the increasing rate of serious entanglements (Knowlton et al., 2012;Henry et al., 2020;Knowlton et al., 2022) which often occur in endlines (Johnson et al., 2005; see entanglement reports at NOAA, 2022a), removal of these fixed lines by using on-demand fishing gear has been discussed as a potential solution Myers et al., 2019). The use of on-demand gear would provide an option to continue commercial lobster and crab fisheries while eliminating the threat of whale entanglement. ...
... There are 3 basic types of on-demand (or "ropeless") fishing technologies in development: 1 with a bottom-stowed endline contained within a trap, 1 with an attached lift bag, and 1 with a buoyant spool (Figure 1). While these components are being refined specifically for on-demand fishing, underwater acoustic technology has previously been applied to other marine purposes (Hydro International, 2009;PACE, 2009;Myers et al., 2019;Ropeless Systems Inc., 2020). ...
Gear entanglement and vessel collisions are the major known causes of injuries to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and other marine animals. Whale entanglements often occur in endlines (the fixed vertical lines between fishing traps and surface buoys) and removal of these lines in “on-demand” or “ropeless” fishing gear has been presented as a potential solution. These fishing systems use acoustic and timed releases to locate and retrieve a submerged trap, endline, and buoy (or lift bag or spool) to the surface. On-demand fishing gear commercially in use costs up to 4,000 per acoustic release. Developers expect on-demand fishing component costs to drop as production ramps up. The correlation between production cost or labor hours per unit and cumulative production have been described as ‘experience curves’ or ‘learning curves.’ The learning model is the most common approach to projecting production costs in electronics and other high-tech industries, with the log-linear model based on the Wright learning curve the most frequently used modelling approach. Wright’s equation is used to calculate on-demand fishing gear costs for northeastern U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating in federal lobster management areas. These vessels represent approximately 70% of entanglement risk, estimated by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The use of on-demand gear would therefore initially be most effective in reducing the risk of whale entanglement (and mortality) in commercial fishing areas in these waters. It is estimated that the cost of on-demand gear for the 1,494 vessels operating in federal waters would total 38,899 per vessel if releases were used on all endlines. If vessels fishing 5 or more traps per trawl use a release on 1 endlines per trawl, the total cost is estimated at 25,552 per vessel. The initial cost of on-demand fishing gear may be an obstacle to widespread adoption. Funding and loan programs are available and there is precedent for government and community assistance to workers in industries affected by resource management regulations.
... Therefore, time and area restrictions in west coast rock lobster fishing in SRW hot spots could reduce entanglement incidents significantly . Recent developments with regards to North Atlantic right whales have proposed that ropeless fishing should be introduced since it removes the vertical buoy lines extending up to the surface, used to mark traps on the sea floor, and vessels can acoustically release them on demand which would significantly reduce or eliminate entanglements in rock lobster gear and the need to have closed areas (Myers et al., 2019). ...
The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis; SRW) population in South Africa’s coastal waters has experienced marked changes since 2009, including altered feeding and migration behaviour, and decreased calving success. At the same time, anthropogenic activities in the area have increased. Based on this, an update on SRW mortalities and related anthropogenic factors is warranted. Building on the published information of Best et al. (2001a), data were collated on all SRW mortalities as well as non‐fatal ship‐strikes and entanglements along the South African coast between 1999 and 2019.
A total of 97 SRW mortalities were recorded, including three that did not result in a stranding, of which the majority were classified as calves of the year. Most of these occurred on the Western Cape coast between the months of July to November, coinciding with the seasonal presence of the species in South African coastal waters. Eleven of these mortalities could be attributed to ship‐strikes whereas three mortalities related to entanglements. A total of 98 non‐fatal incidents, including 16 ship‐strikes and 82 entanglements with SRWs, were recorded in South Africa between 1999 and 2019. Ship‐strikes occurred mainly around the area of Cape Town harbour. Entanglements occurred mainly in rock‐lobster gear and bather‐protection nets in the Western Cape and KwaZulu‐Natal provinces respectively, although the latter did not occur between 2015–2019 attributable to the replacement of over 70% of the nets by drumlines, and the removal of the remaining nets during whale season.
In general, the incidence of SRW mortalities and entanglements decreased post‐2007, coinciding with the decreased presence of SRWs along the South African coast. Available data show a relatively low rate of fatal entanglements and ship‐strikes, although this may be underestimated due to the opportunistic nature of the collated data. In view of the population growth rate and the increased anthropogenic activities in South African coastal waters, continued and improved monitoring (e.g. through a more systematic reporting system) of these incidents is crucial to ensure accurate knowledge‐based management decisions in the future. Possible mitigation measures aimed at reducing anthropogenic interactions are mooted.
... Two apps were also identified as providing a platform for fishers to log and share the location of ropeless gear. While the Trap Tracker app is specifically designed to control EdgeTech's ropeless fishing gear, Ropeless Fisher is a generic application that allows the position of ropeless gear to be logged throughout the world (EdgeTech 2021; Myers et al. 2019). ...
Smartphones are increasingly the most common type of mobile phone used throughout the world, offering users the ability to browse the internet and access mobile applications. Smartphones are also often equipped with high definition digital cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and GPS. They can, therefore, facilitate the collection and dissemination of data, often through purpose designed applications (apps). As a result, numerous apps have been developed for use in wild capture fisheries. These apps have been designed for a number of purposes including for data collection, providing information to fishers, being linked to value chains and post-harvest practices and for uses linked to employment, legislation and safety. These apps are used across the world from large commercialized fisheries to small scale fisheries. In the latter, apps have the potential to bridge a technology gap, possibly replicating the functions of multiple pieces of hardware such as are used on larger vessels. This paper presents results from a narrative literature review to provide a synthesis of smart phone apps currently available for use by commercial fishers. 84 smartphone apps were identified as being currently available for use in commercial wild capture fisheries throughout the world. Smartphone apps were available for a number of uses but they were predominantly used for data collection and reporting. While this review provides an important overview of the extent of app use in commercial wild capture fisheries there remains potential for future work to improve understanding of how beneficial app use is and what it is that encourages app use and determines an app as being 'successful'.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11160-022-09727-6.
