Install exclusion devices on fishing gear: Snakes & lizards
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Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
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Number of studies: 1
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Effectiveness
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Supporting evidence from individual studies
A replicated study in 2012 in off the coast of Western Australia (Wakefield et al. 2017) found that exclusion grids with escape hatches (‘bycatch reduction device’) did not prevent sea snakes from entering the codend of trawl nets in a tropical teleost fishery. In total 331 of 351 sea snakes passed through the exclusion grid, however only 16 sea snakes were recorded as trawl catch. The authors note that sea snakes were observed escaping through the trawl net and may have done so after passing through the grids. Loss of commercially-targeted teleost species from all trawls was 1% of catch. In June–December 2012, catch (target and unwanted) from three commercial trawl vessels was monitored using in-net and onboard cameras during daylight. Vessels were fitted with either: upward-facing grid and escape hatch with diamond-mesh net (372 trawl hours on 2 vessels), downward-facing grid and escape hatch with diamond-mesh net (559 trawl hours on 2 vessels), or downward-facing grid and escape hatch with square mesh net (389 trawl hours on 1 vessel; see original paper for all specifications). Use of bycatch reduction grids with escape hatches was mandatory in this fishery from 2006.
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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:
Reptile Conservation
Reptile Conservation - Published 2021
Reptile synopsis