In the midst of several management failures, marine reserves are seen as a potential management tool to control overexploitation. In the literature, both modelling and empirical work have demonstrated that closing an area to fishing would lead to an increase in biomass and mean body size within the reserve. Benefits, in the form of increased catch, outside the reserves are sometimes shown using...

The spatial and temporal variations of finfish bycatch assemblage cutlassfish trawl were compared in two fishing areas (Hormozgan and Bushehr). Data were collected on board of commercial vessels in the fishing grounds of Trichiurus lepturus in Bushehr and Hormozgan marine waters between early May 2010 to late November, 2010. There was a significant difference in the bycatch assemblages bet...

We aimed to develop alternative fishing gear for catching the common octopus, to decrease the use of bait and operating costs in comparison to commercial net pots. A tubular-type pot was designed, and behavioral responses of the common octopus were experimentally monitored in tank and replicated 10 times to compare fishing performances between 300 experimental and 300 commercial net pots in the...

A pied cormorant (Phalacrocroax varius) was found sleeping on rocks in a coastal region near Adelaide. Examination revealed entanglement by fishing line with superficial wounds to the left leg. The cormorant was also reported to have ingested a number of fishing hooks, however, the exact location of the hooks was not known. In addition, the bird was found to be underweight and shocked. X-ray ex...

DDT remains an important type of persistent organic pollutant (POP) in the environment of China. One of the current applications of DDT in China has been through antifouling paint for fishing ships as an active component. It has been estimated that approximately 5000 t of DDT was released into the Chinese coastal environment during the last two decades. Therefore, sediments in coastal fishing h...

The major factor controlling the abundance of reef fishes in Hawaii (USA) appears to be habltat complexity (bottom topographic relief and interstitial space) Fishes aggregate In areas of h ~ g h hab~tat complexity at b~o~nass levels whlch, in areas protected from fishing, may significantly (by 2 to 5 times) exceed levels supported by pnmary production within the ecosystem. High relief natural a...

The impact of fishing on chondrichthyan stocks around the world is currently the focus of considerable international concern. Most chondrichthyan populations are of low productivity relative to teleost fishes, a consequence of their different life-history strategies. This is reflected in the poor record of sustainability of target shark fisheries. Most sharks and some batoids are predators at, ...

Fishing can trigger trophic cascades that alter community structure and dynamics and thus modify ecosystem attributes. We combined ecological data of sea urchin and macroalgal abundance with fishery data of spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) landings to evaluate whether: (1) patterns in the abundance and biomass among lobster (predator), sea urchins (grazer), and macroalgae (primary producer...

Bottom trawling and seabed littering are two serious threats to seabed integrity. We present an overview of the distribution of seabed litter and bottom trawling in Norwegian waters (the Norwegian Sea and the southern Barents Sea). Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) records and trawl marks (TM) on the seabed were used as indicators of pressure and impact of bottom trawling, respectively. Estimates ...