Fishing operators can avoid accidental catches, if they have the skills

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-04-05 01:00

Australia; QLD; TAS

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Bycatch, when commercial fishing operators accidentally catch species they're not targeting, can be reduced through skill rather than sacrificing the amount of fish being caught according to Australian researchers. The team measured the rate of bycatch across five industrial fisheries in different regions to try and find variables that influence bycatch. The researchers say it was mostly individual vessels that caught less or more species accidentally, suggesting targeting the right species and only the right species is a skill that can be worked on. They say some of the operators that catch the highest amounts of fish are also able to catch fewer species accidentally along the way.