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SC/69B/HIM/10
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Resource ID
22102
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/69B/HIM/10
Full Title
Assessment of strandings during the closure of high-risk fishing gears in the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic) during winter 2024
Author
Helene Peltier, Willy Dabin, Cecile Dars, Fabien Demaret, Eleonore Meheust, Jerome Spitz, Olivier Van Canneyt, Sarah Wund,Vincent Ridoux
Authors Summary
In the context of the European Commission's infringement procedure, and following several action plans deemed insufficient by the French Council of State and the EU Commission, France drew up a series of measures aimed at reducing bycatches of small cetaceans in fishing gear.
A closure of high-risk gear was introduced between 22 January and 20 February 2024 to 2026. As an emergency measure under the Common Fisheries Policy, all European boats were banned from operating in French waters during this period.
In the ICES zone affected by the ban on high-risk gear, i.e. from the Spanish border to 48 North, 141 strandings of small cetaceans were reported to the National Strandings Network during the period from 22 January to 20 February 2024.
It seems that, given comparable weather conditions during the risk period, several hundred strandings would have been expected according to statistics from previous years.
The strandings recorded during the ban of certain fishing gears would essentially correspond to deaths unrelated to bycatches in fishing gear (pathologies, topographical accidents, separation of mother and calf, etc.), the number of which would appear to be consistent with mortality rates excluding bycatches.
The apparent bycatch rate of small cetaceans (proportion of strandings showing traces of bycatch among the fresh and slightly putrefied animals examined by the stranding network) during the period from 22/01 to 20/02 has been between 50 and 90% since 2012. According to the provisional data available at the time of writing, this rate will be around 10% in 2024.
A total of 385 small cetaceans were found stranded between 21/02 and 25/03. Although the data is still being consolidated, cases of small cetaceans showing signs of death in fishing gear have returned to usual levels for a winter season.
Publisher
IWC
Publication Year
2024