1. Fishing spans all oceans and the impact on ocean predators such as sharks and rays is largely unknown. A lack of data and complicated jurisdictional issues present particular challenges for assessing and conserving high seas biodiversity. It is clear, however, that pelagic sharks and rays of the open ocean are subject to high and often unrestricted levels of mortality from bycatch and target...

There is now a general agreement that sharks, and pelagic sharks in particular, are facing widespread declines in population level due to fishing activity (Pauly et al., 2003). Recent studies suggest dramatic reductions in relative abundance of up to 80% have occurred in as little as 15 years for some species (Baum et al., 2003; Myers et al., 2006), trends most likely linked to greater target c...

Understanding the links between foraging behaviour and habitat use of key species is essential to addressing fundamental questions about trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning. Eight female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were equipped with time-depth recorders linked to Fastloc GPS tags following the annual moult in southwest Ireland. Individual dives were coupled with environmental co...

Dramatic population declines among species of pelagic shark as a result of overfishing have been reported, with some species now at a fraction of their historical biomass. Advanced telemetry techniques enable tracking of spatial dynamics and behaviour, providing fundamental information on habitat preferences of threatened species to aid conservation. We tracked movements of the highest pelagic ...

a National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, California 92037-1022, USA b Ocean Sunfish Tagging and Research Program, 25517 Hacienda Place Suite C, Carmel California, 93923, USA c Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA d Monterey Bay Aquarium, 866 Cannery Row, M...

Artisanal: fisheries that are small scale and subsistence in nature, in contrast to industrial. Artisanal fishing effort is often unmonitored by regional fishery commissions. Bycatch: the incidental take of undesirable size or age classes of the target species (e.g. juveniles or large females), or to the incidental take of other nontarget species. Individuals caught as bycatch can be unharmed, ...

BACKGROUND This study examines the impact of subsidies on the profitability and ecological stability of the North Sea fisheries over the past 20 years. It shows the negative impact that subsidies can have on both the biomass of important fish species and the possible profit from fisheries. The study includes subsidies in an ecosystem model of the North Sea and examines the possible effects of e...

The history of global longline fishing illustrates the role of new technologies (e.g. vessel innovations, freezers, fishing gear), the expansion of fishing grounds, and the operational characteristics of the fleets (e.g. fleet sizes, fishing methods, product focus) in shaping today’s fishery. More recently, management regulations, the price of oil, the cost of labour, and market demand have als...