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SC/69A/HIM/03
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Resource ID
20006
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/69A/HIM/03
Full Title
U.S. Efforts to Develop On-Demand Fishing Gear Technology 2022-2023 Updates
Author
Gahm, M., Coogan, C., Galvez, B., Khan, C., Long, K., Matzen, E., Milliken, H., And Shervanick, K.
Authors Summary
The Scientific Committee has recognised the substantial efforts of the USA and Canada to better understand the
status of this species and to mitigate human impacts but nonetheless the SC again expressed serious concern over the
status of this species and has requested updates and information. This paper describes the U.S. Government efforts to develop innovative on-demand fishing technology that avoids using static buoy lines affixed to fishing traps. The U.S. is currently working to develop on-demand systems as well as geolocation and broadcasting capabilities for the systems. The paper details how the U.S. has built a "gear library" with 270 systems from 8 different manufacturers for fishermen to borrow and provide feedback to improve functionality. These efforts represent a massive push forward toward implementing these systems and substantially reducing the risk of North Atlantic right whale entanglements in fishing gear.
Publisher
IWC
Publication Year
2023
Abstract
Bycatch in fishing gear is the leading source of human-caused mortality for marine mammals. Large whales, such as North Atlantic right whales, which are listed as endangered in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, become entangled in vertical lines associated with fixed gear fisheries. The U.S. has implemented various mitigation measures to reduce entanglement risk, including time area vertical line closures, where fixed gear fisheries that use vertical buoy lines are prohibited. One emerging solution that has the potential to both reduce
risk to whales and alleviate such closures is on-demand fishing (also known as ropeless, buoyless, or pop-up) without persistent vertical buoy lines. These systems reduce entanglement risk by decreasing the amount of line in the water. The U.S. is currently working collaboratively
with the commercial fishing industry, researchers, government, and non-government organizations (NGOs) to develop and test on-demand systems from various manufacturers. On-demand gear technology is improving and could reduce entanglement risk and allow fishing to continue in locations with high whale abundance.