Journal article
Bycatch in gillnet fisheries threatens Critically Endangered small cetaceans and other aquatic megafauna
Robert L Brownell, Randall R Reeves, Andrew J Read, Brian D Smith, Peter O Thomas, Katherine Ralls, Masao Amano, Per Berggren, Aung Myo Chit, Tim Collins, Rohan Currey, M Louella L Dolar, Tilen Genov, Roderick C Hobbs, Danielle Kreb, Helene Marsh, Zhigang Mei, William F Perrin, Somany Phay, Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho Show all
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH | INTER-RESEARCH | Published : 2019
DOI: 10.3354/esr00994
Abstract
The conservation status of small cetaceans has significantly worsened since the 1980s, when the baiji was the only species of small cetacean listed as Endangered by IUCN. Now the baiji is almost certainly extinct and 13 other species, subspecies, or populations (hereafter units-to-conserve or units) of small cetaceans are listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Bycatch is the main threat to 11 of the CR units. Entanglement in gillnets contributed to the extinction of the baiji and is responsible for the imminent extinction of the vaquita. Unfortunately, there is no simple technical solution to the problem of bycatch of small cetaceans. If the 8 CR units with 100 or fewer r..
View full abstract