Major Fishery Concern: Collateral Impacts

Rouxel 2017*

While gillnets offer high catch-effiency, they produce the most bycatch and are less sustainable than hand-lines and codpots (Rouxel 2017*)

2 Types of Gillnets Used in Newfoundland Inshore Fishery:

1. Deep-set cod gillnets [Aug - Nov; 20-40 falthoms= 40-200 m]

-aperiodic bycatch info from sentinel fishers’ logbooks + DFO data  collectors

-after capelin inshore

-risk for murres and puffins + bycaught species: Short-horned sculpin, Toad crab, Green sea urchin, Sea scallop, Common whelk, Blue mussel, Daisy brittle star, Basket star, Northern sea star, Spiny sunstar, Northern red anemone, Red soft coral, Lion's mane jellyfish, Moon jellyfish...

2. Surface-set herring gillnets [Apr - May; ~1 fathom = 2–3 m]

- no systematic information on bycatch– major data gap

- before capelin inshore

- risk for gannets, cormorants, gulls  + bycaught species: Murre, Nothern Gannet, Porbeagle shark, Atlantic Salmon, Sea Trout, Cod, Tomcod, Rock cod, Shad, Atlantic Mackeral, Lumpfish, Cunner, Skate, Jellyfish, Rock crab

Other Fishing Gear Used:

How do these gears compare?

Rouxel 2017: Gillnets produce the most bycatch, followed by cod-pots, then hand-lines.

Fishing Gears - Perception of Fisherman (Rouxel 2017)

Shift in gears?

*see link below