Timothy B Werner

OAI Consulting

The main threat of franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) is the incidental bycatch in artisanal fishing gillnets. Several studies were implemented during the past two decades along with the local fishing communities in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina in order to address this conservation issue. Acoustic deterrent devices, commonly known as “...

The franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is considered the most threatened cetacean in the South Western Atlantic due to bycatch in gillnet fisheries of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. As gillnet fisheries operate in the same areas inhabited by dolphins, methods and strategies to reduce bycatch require particular attention. This study inves...

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...

Population estimates of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) put the number of individuals at 458 with the actual number likely being lower due to a recent unusual mortality event. Entanglement with fixed fishing gear is the most significant cause of mortality of North Atlantic right whales. There remains littl...

Entanglement in fixed fishing gear is a conservation concern for whales worldwide, including in the United States where deaths of North Atlantic right and humpback whales have exceeded management limits for decades. We examined fishing gear removed from live and dead entangled whales along the US East Coast and the Canadian Maritimes from 1994-2010...

Demersal and pelagic longline fisheries involve frequent and geographically widespread interactions with many individuals, populations, and species of marine mammals. Animals sometimes suffer mortality and serious injury following these interactions, attracted mainly to longlines as a source of food. This depredating behaviour can have serious cons...

The incidental capture of franciscana Pontoporia blainvillei in gillnet fisheries of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil represents a major conservation threat to this species. We report on an experimental trial that compared franciscana bycatch rates in standard gillnets to gillnets with 1 of 2 modifications: increased acoustic reflectivity by infusion...

Incidental capture, or bycatch, in fisheries represents a substantial threat to the sustainability of elasmobranch populations worldwide. Consequently, researchers are increasingly investigating elasmobranch bycatch reduction methods, including some focused on these species' sensory capabilities, particularly their electrosensory systems. To guide...

Since the 1970s the role of fishery bycatch as a factor reducing, or limiting the recovery of, marine mammal populations has been increasingly recognized. The proceedings of a 1990 International Whaling Commission symposium and workshop summarized fishery and bycatch data by region, fishery, and species, and estimated the significance of the 'impac...

Many populations of marine megafauna, including seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals, and elasmobranchs, have declined in recent decades due largely to anthropogenic mortality. To successfully conserve these long-lived animals, efforts must be prioritized according to feasibility and the degree to which they address threats with the highest relati...

The non-target bycatch of sharks in pelagic longline (PLL) fisheries represents a potential source of compromise to shark populations world-wide. Moreover, shark bycatch and depredation (damage inflicted on gear, bait, and catch) compli-cates management of sharks and other species, and can undermine the operations and financial interests of the pel...

We are undertaking a major revision of holothurians, focused on the Aspidochirotida, with support from the NSF PEET program, additional funding from our institutions, governments, and other sources. The project includes reviews of nomina, literature, type specimens, field surveys, DNA sequencing, and revisionary taxonomy. For nomina we are upgradin...

Substantial ecological, economic and social problems result from shark interactions in pelagic longline fisheries. Improved understanding of industry attitudes and practices towards shark interactions assists with managing these problems. Information on fisher knowledge and new strategies for shark avoidance may benefit sharks and fishers. A study...

Unintended injuries and fatalities to non-target marine species—a major component of "bycatch"—is one of the principal threats to the survival of many endangered marine populations and species. This paper describes both proposed and existing fishing tech- niques for reducing non-target species bycatch, and reviews their focus across different fishe...

Icthyological results of four rapid assessment surveys are presented. The surveys were completed between 1997–1999 and were conducted at the following localities: Milne Bay (Papua New Guinea), Calamianes Islands (Palawan, Philippines), Togean–Banggai Islands (Sulawesi, Indonesia), and Weh Island (Sumatra, Indonesia). Surveys were conducted over per...

The Abrolhos bank, an area of continental shelf off the coast of Bahia, Brazil, has the most biologically diverse coral reefs in the entire southern Atlantic Ocean. The coral reefs and nearby coastal ecosystems constitue a global conservation priority and are the target of the Abrolhos 2000 project, initiated by Conservation International as part o...