Introduce and enforce regulations to prevent the use of harmful deterrents on mammals at aquaculture systems

Overall effectiveness category No evidence found (no assessment)
Number of studies: 0
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
Harms

not assessed

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Background information and definitions

Marine and freshwater mammals may be harassed or subjected to harmful deterrents at aquaculture systems in attempts to reduce mammal predation on fish stocks and damage to gear. This may include using bait that is distasteful or emetic (induces vomiting), explosives and warning shots, electric fencing or chasing mammals with boats. Regulations may be introduced and enforced to prevent the use of such measures at aquaculture systems. This may also include the inappropriate use of acoustic devices, which may cause hearing damage and disturbance to both target and non-target mammals (Götz & Janik 2013).

Götz T. & Janik V.M. (2013) Acoustic deterrent devices to prevent pinniped depredation: efficiency, conservation concerns and possible solutions. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 492, 285–302.

Key messages

We found no studies that evaluated the effects of introducing and enforcing regulations to prevent the use of harmful deterrents on mammals at aquaculture systems.

‘We found no studies’ means that we have not yet found any studies that have directly evaluated this action during our systematic journal and report searches. Therefore we have been unable to assess whether or not the action is effective or has any harmful impacts. Please get in touch if you know of such a study for this action.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Please cite as:

Berthinussen, A., Smith, R.K. and Sutherland, W.J. (2021) Marine and Freshwater Mammal Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions. Conservation Evidence Series Synopses. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Marine and Freshwater Mammal Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Minimize food waste at aquaculture systems Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Translocate mammals away from aquaculture systems to reduce human-wildlife conflict Action Link	Likely to be ineffective or harmful	2	Synopsis Link
Use acoustic devices at aquaculture systems Action Link	Trade-off between benefit and harms	6	Synopsis Link