Content uploaded by Marios Papageorgiou
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Marios Papageorgiou on Nov 28, 2022
Content may be subject to copyright.
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y
Overfishing and bycatch are among the greatest threats to marine biodiversity loss and have
been t h e principal d r i v e r s of d e c l i n e and l o c a l extinction o f marine v u l n e r a b l e species.
Following a standardized data collection protocol developed by GFCM, we conducted onboard
observations and interviews across different fishing fleets in Cyprus with the aim to
understand an d qu a n t i f y the pr o b l e m of by c a t c h of vulnerable sp e c i e s . Th o u s a n d s of sh a r k s ,
rays and turtles have been estimated t o b e c a u g h t e v e r y y e a r b y t h e e n t i r e f i s h i n g f l e e t i n
Cyprus. T h e non-selectivity o f fishing g e a r an d practices a n d th e ignorance o f fi s h e r s on h o w
to safely ha n d l e a n d r e l e a s e v u l n e r a b l e species were id e n t i f i e d a s t h e p r i m a r y drivers of
bycatch and mortality of vulnerable species. To mitigate this problem, based on the findings
from our s t u d y w e p r o p o s e f i v e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s : 1 ) tr a i n f i s h e r s o n s a f e h a n d l i n g a n d re l e a s e
of v u l n e r a b l e sp e c i e s , 2) rethink a n d re v i s e ge a r an d te m p o r a l re g u l a t i o n s , 3) ra i s e awareness
among s t a k e h o l d e r s , 4) im p l e m e n t a de t a i l e d da t a co l l e c t i o n pr o g r a m m e an d test m i t i g a t i o n
measures and 5) test alternative fishing gear and methods.
C Y P R U S B Y C AT C H P R O JE C T
PO LICY BRIEF
T h e ‘ s i l e n t ’ p r o b l e m o f f i s h e r i e s : A c a l l
t o a d d r e s s o n e o f t h e b i g g e s t f i s h e r i e s -
d r i v e n e n v i r o n m e n t a l t h r e a t s
Nov e m b er 202 2
INT ROD UCT ION
The incidental c a p t u r e ( a l s o k n o w n a s
bycatch) of non-targeted species in
fishing operations is a critical
conservation i s s u e i n th e Mediterranean
Sea a n d w o r l d w i d e , bu t is a l s o co n s i d e r e d
as a n important t h r e a t to t h e pr o f i t a b i l i t y
and sustainability of fisheries. The bycatch
of vu l n e r a b l e s p e c i e s r e f e r s to the
incidental ca p t u r e of sharks an d rays, se a
turtles, m a r i n e m a m m a l s , s e a b i r d s and
benthic vulnerable sp e c i e s . D e s p i t e t h e
fact that bycatch threatens the
population of several vulnerable and
sensitive s p e c i e s , l i t t l e h a s b e e n d o n e t o
date, to eliminate this problem. The
principal d r i v e r of b y c a t c h is o v e r f i s h i n g
and non-selective and de s t r u c t i v e f i s h i n g
methods.
It i s e s t i m a t e d th a t i n th e w o r l d ’ s
fisheries, ap p r o x i m a t e l y 30 0 , 0 0 0 dolphins
and w h a l e s , 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 s e a b i r d s , 250,000
marine tu r t l e s an d more th a n 100 mi l l i o n
sharks an d r a y s are in c i d e n t a l l y c a u g h t
every y e a r . B y c a t c h h a s b e e n r e s p o n s i b l e
for dr i v i n g s p e c i e s t o e x t i n c t i o n and
altering e n t i r e fo o d w e b s an d ec o s y s t e m s .
It is still difficult and extremely
challenging to d a y , to develop and
implement s o l u t i o n s fo r th e pr e v e n t i o n of
bycatch, a s d e t a i l e d in f o r m a t i o n on th e
issue i s lacking a n d t h e problem h a s no
single solution. U n t i l r e c e n t l y , l i t t l e w a s
known a b o u t the b y c a t c h of v u l n e r a b l e
species f o r t h e C y p r i o t fishing fl e e t a n d
apart fr o m some le g i s l a t i o n s , no t h i n g has
been d o n e locally t o address t h i s
conservation issue.
app roa ch and r e su l ts
The re s u l t s s h o w e d that th e t a x o n o m i c
groups wh i c h are mo s t l y affected by
bycatch are sharks and rays and sea
turtles. W e r e c o r d e d 1 6 s p e c i e s o f s h a r k s
and r a y s , 2 s p e c i e s o f tu r t l e s a n d 1 sp e c i e s
of d o l p h i n as by c a t c h . Ac c o r d i n g to IU C N ,
64% of t h e bycaught sp e c i e s were
Threatened (Vulnerable, E n d a n g e r e d
and Cr i t i c a l l y En d a n g e r e d ) species.
Based on the fi n d i n g s o f o u r s t u d y , t h e
annual by c a t c h r a t e w a s e s t i m a t e d a t
37,000 i n d i v i d u a l s of s h a r k s and r a y s
and 4 , 0 0 0 individuals of ma r i n e tu r t l e s .
The study also id e n t i f i e d t h a t s h a r k s a n d
rays a r e b y c a u g h t throughout t h e year
whereas sea t u r t l e by c a t c h is
significantly h i g h e r d u r i n g t h e spring
and su m m e r seasons. Additionally, i t
seems that t h e m a r i n e a r e a s o f Z y g i a n d
Larnaca a r e important f o r a g i n g gr o u n d s
for s e a turtles a s significantly h i g h e r
bycatch i n c i d e n t s w e r e r e c o r d e d these
regions.
POLICY BRIEF November 2022
C Y P R U S B Y C AT C H P R O JE C T
Sharks and rays
90.4%
Sea turtles
9.2%
Cetaceans
0.4%
Percentage of bycaught vulnerable
species per taxonomic group in
Cypriot fisheries
The m u l t i - s p e c i e s and m u l t i - g e a r n a t u r e
of th e fishery se c t o r in C y p r u s ha s shown
high diversification in non-targeted
bycatch s p e c i e s . Th e principal d r i v e r of
bycatch has b e e n i d e n t i f i e d t o b e t h e n o n
selectively o f f i s h i n g g e a r a n d fishing
practices. Additionally, t h e i g n o r a n c e o f
fishermen on t o h o w h a n d l e a n d sa f e l y
release the b y c a u g h t v u l n e r a b l e s p e c i e s
back to the sea has shown to be the
primary c a u s e o f mortality o f b y c a u g h t
individuals.
POLICY BRIEF November 2022
C Y P R U S B Y C AT C H P R O JE C T
Our s t u d y a i m e d t o understand t h e
bycatch o f v u l n e r a b l e s p e c i e s a c r o s s
different f i s h i n g g e a r s a n d p r a c t i c e s a n d
to te s t me a s u r e s an d methods that co u l d
potentially m i t i g a t e th e problem. T h e
data were c o l l e c t e d t h r o u g h 4 0 0 o n -
board o b s e r v a t i o n s a n d 8 0 in-person
interviews t o sm a l l - s c a l e , pe l a g i c lo n g l i n e
and b o t t o m trawl f i s h e r i e s . Fo r the d a t a
collection an d s a m p l i n g methodology we
followed the s t a n d a r d i z e d p r o t o c o l s
developed by G F C M . T h e s t u d y p r o v i d e s
the f i r s t ev i d e n c e - b a s e d results o f
bycatch o f vulnerable s p e c i e s related t o
the Cy p r i o t fisheries at fine sp a t i a l scales
and a c r o s s th e di f f e r e n t fi s h i n g ge a r s an d
practices.
IUCN RedList status of bycaught
individuals as per study
The s t u d y has s e t t h e f o u n d a t i o n s f o r
future r e s e a r c h a n d de c i s i o n - m a k i n g t o
reduce th e i m p a c t of fi s h e r i e s o n marine
vulnerable s p e c i e s a n d h e l p t o w a r d s t h e
transition o f th e f i s h e r i e s se c t o r to
sustainability.
35% 88%
Percentage of bycaught individuals
released alive as per study
Sharks and rays Sea turtles
Spatial distribution of recorded
bycaught taxa as per study
con clu din g r ec o mm e nd a ti o ns
Our r e s u l t s r e v e a l e d t h a t s h a r k s , r a y s a n d t u r t l e s a r e u n d e r s e r i o u s t h r e a t f r o m f i s h i n g
activities in C y p r u s as a result of n o n - s e l e c t i v e fishing an d bad ha n d l i n g p r a c t i c e s from
fishers. Following t h e E c o s y s t e m A p p r o a c h t o Fisheries M a n a g e m e n t , s u c h d a t a s h o u l d be
taken in t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n wh e n f o r m i n g fisheries ma n a g e m e n t m e a s u r e s in o r d e r t o
achieve sustainability on an ecosystem level.
Shor t - t e rm r e c o m mend a t i o ns
Recommendation #1: Training o n s a f e
handling and release
Mandatory t r a i n i n g t o al l f i s h e r s , in c l u d i n g
recreational f i s h e r s , o n the s a f e h a n d l i n g
and release o f m a r i n e v u l n e r a b l e s p e c i e s .
Safe h a n d l i n g a n d release h a s proven to
be ef f e c t i v e in in c r e a s i n g th e post-release
survivability o f b y c a u g h t in d i v i d u a l s .
Training s h o u l d b e undertaken e v e r y t w o
years t o e n s u r e its e f f e c t i v e n e s s a n d
engagement of the fishing industry.
Recommendation # 2 : G e a r an d temporal
regulations
Reduce s o a k t i m e and n e t l e n g t h a n d
limit t h e n u m b e r o f trammel n e t s a n d
monofilament nets during th e s p r i n g a n d
summer s e a s o n s . T r a m m e l ne t s an d
monofilament nets were id e n t i f i e d a s t h e
least s e l e c t i v e f i s h i n g g e a r s a n d longer
soak t i m e an d ne t length w e r e s t r o n g l y
correlated w i t h i n c r e a s e d b y c a t c h
quantities. Sp r i n g an d summer we r e
identified as th e seasons wi t h the hi g h e s t
bycatch rates.
Recommendation #3: Raise awareness
Run intense awareness campaigns ab o u t
the importance and im p a c t o f b y c a t c h o f
marine v u l n e r a b l e species o n ec o s y s t e m s
and t h e i r r o l e o n t h e o c e a n economy,
across different stakeholder groups,
including p r o f e s s i o n a l a n d recreational
fishers a n d end c o n s u m e r s . Education i s a
powerful to o l t h a t c o u l d secure the lo n g -
term e n g a g e m e n t a n d s u p p o r t of th e
stakeholders an d e n s u r e the effectiveness
of regulatory management measures.
.
POLICY BRIEF November 2022
C Y P R U S B Y C AT C H P R O JE C T
Long t e r m re c o m m enda t i o n s
Recommendation # 4 : D a t a collection
and testing of mitigation measures
Take action on collecting long-term
reliable a n d d e t a i l e d d a t a on b y c a t c h
across all different fishing gears and
practices in o r d e r t o b e t t e r i d e n t i f y
patterns and factors th a t l e a d t o b y c a t c h
as w e l l a s by c a t c h ho t s p o t s a n d im p o r t a n t
foraging a n d b r e e d i n g grounds o f
vulnerable s p e c i e s . Continue t e s t i n g n e w
technological in s t r u m e n t s to mi t i g a t e
bycatch a n d m o d i f i c a t i o n s o n gears a s
well as temporal and spatial closures.
Recommendation # 5 : Te s t i n g of
alternative f i s h i n g g e a r a n d targeted
species
Test n e w f i s h i n g g e a r th a t ma y ha v e
significantly l e s s o r no b y c a t c h a n d
minimum impact on se a b e d a n d h a b i t a t s
that c o u l d a l s o br i n g ne w o p p o r t u n i t i e s to
fishers ( e . g . , traps to catch t h e invasive
blue cr a b an d lionfish). T h e fishing
methods cu r r e n t l y u s e d ar e o u t d a t e d and
fishers do n ’ t catch th e s p e c i e s an d t h e
quantities t h a t t h e y used t o c a t c h i n
previous decades due to the
environmental a n d b i o l o g i c a l c h a n g e s of
the M e d i t e r r a n e a n Sea, w h i c h ha v e been
responsible for changing entire
communities and ecosystems.
Authors
Marios Papageorgiou and Christina Ieronymidou
Copyright © 2022 by Enalia Physis
Environmental Research Centre and BirdLife
Cyprus
Front cover photo copyright © Marios
Papageorgiou
Back cover photo copyright © Vasilis Resaikos
Published by Enalia Physis Environmental
Research Centre and BirdLife Cyprus,
Nicosia, Cyprus
enaliaphysis.org.cy
birdlifecyprus.org
The ‘silent’ problem of fisheries: A call to
address one of the biggest fisheries-driven
environmental threats. Policy Brief. November
2022
This policy brief was produced under the
framework of the Cyprus Bycatch Project
“Understanding multi-taxa ‘bycatch’ of
vulnerable species and testing mitigation a
collaborative approach in Cyprus”
Funded by
Partners