@article{,

title = {Cetacean bycatch in Indian Ocean tuna gillnet fisheries},

author = {Anderson, Charles,Herrera, Miguel,Ilangakoon, Anoukchika,Koya, KM,Moazzam, M,Mustika, Putu L,Sutaria, Dipani N},

url = {https://www.int-res.com/prepress/n01008.html},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01008},

issn = {1863-5407},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Endangered Species Research},

volume = {41},

number = {292},

pages = {39-53},

abstract = {Pelagic gillnet (driftnet) fisheries account for some 34% of Indian Ocean tuna catches. We combine published results from 10 bycatch sampling programmes (1981–2016) in Australia, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan to estimate bycatch rates for cetaceans across all Indian Ocean tuna gillnet fisheries. Estimated cetacean bycatch peaked at almost 100,000 individuals yr–1 during 2004–2006, but has declined by over 15% since then, despite an increase in tuna gillnet fishing effort. These fisheries caught an estimated cumulative total of 4.1 million small cetaceans between 1950 and 2018. These bycatch estimates take little or no account of cetaceans caught by gillnet but not landed, of delayed mortality or sub-lethal impacts on cetaceans (especially whales) that escape from gillnets, of mortality associated with ghost nets, of harpoon catches made from gillnetters, nor of mortality from other tuna fisheries. Total cetacean mortality from Indian Ocean tuna fisheries may therefore be substantially higher than estimated here. Declining cetacean bycatch rates suggest that such levels of mortality are not sustainable. Indeed, mean small cetacean abundance may currently be 13% of pre-fishery levels. None of these estimates are precise, but they do demonstrate the likely order of magnitude of the issue. Countries with the largest current gillnet catches of tuna, and thus the ones likely to have the largest cetacean bycatch are (in order): Iran, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Oman, Yemen, UAE and Tanzania. These 9 countries together may account for roughly 96% of all cetacean bycatch from tuna gillnet fisheries across the Indian Ocean. },

keywords = {Bycatch, Estimates, Extrapolation, Gill net, gillnet, Indian Ocean, mortality, Observer programmes, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trends, tuna fishery},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Whale Distribution in the Northern Arabian Sea along Coast of Pakistan in 2019 based on the information obtained through Fisheries Crew-Based Observer Programme},

author = {Moazzam Khan ,Rab Nawaz, Babar Khan, Sudheer Ahmed. },

url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341776439_Whale_Distribution_in_the_Northern_Arabian_Sea_along_Coast_of_Pakistan_in_2019_based_on_the_information_obtained_through_Fisheries_Crew-Based_Observer_Programme},

isbn = { SC/67A/CMP/05},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

urldate = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Document presented to the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission},

volume = {SC/68B/CMP/08},

number = {170},

pages = {11},

institution = {Document presented to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission},

abstract = {In 2012 WWF-Pakistan initiated an observer programme to monitor tuna gillnet operations in the coastal and offshore waters of Pakistan. Among other things, these observers were assigned to report observations of whales encountered during fishing operations. These vessels (with onboard observers) provided a platform of opportunity for recording the spatial and temporal distribution of whales in the Northern Arabian Sea. During 2019 a total of 7 sightings of Arabian Sea humpback whales, 1 sighting each of blue whales and Bryde’s whales, 6 sightings of sperm whales,8 sightings of baleen whales (that could not be identified to species level due to lack of adequate photographic or video evidence) and 3 records of entanglement and mortality of Cuvier’s beaked whales..

Fewer whales were recorded through the programme in 2019  than 2018 and 2017 when a total of 35 and 95 sightings of whale were recorded respectively. This decrease in sightings is attributed to many factors, including early closure of the fishing season in early April 2019 because of  low catches and unreliable prices of tuna in the market. As such the fishery was closed for four months from mid-April to mid-August instead of the usual two months of June and July.

Extremely high sea surface temperatures during September to October 2019 (possibly an oceanic heat wave) were believed to be the cause of reduced tuna catches. Therefore, only a few tuna boats remained operational  during this period. An unprecedented jellyfish bloom of Crambionella orsini  from September 2019 onward forced fishermen to stop fishing operations during this period. Furthermore, the observer programme was completed on September, 2019, after which only 45 out of 75 observers voluntarily continued to provide information about sightings. The paper also reports on two baleen whale strandings - a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) stranded on the rocky shore at Gunz, western coast of Pakistan and a blue whale in Pushukan, Gwadar (West Bay).},

keywords = {Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, balaenoptera edeni, Bryde's whale, Bycatch, Entanglement, Humpback Whale, megaptera novaeangliae, Observer programmes, Pakistan},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals and Dolphin-Safe Tuna Products },

author = {NOAA},

year  = {2016},

date = {2016-01-01},

journal = {Federal Register},

volume = {81},

number = {421},

pages = {3},

abstract = { The Assistant Administrator

for Fisheries, NMFS, (Assistant

Administrator) has issued a

determination, under the Dolphin

Protection Consumer Information Act

(DPCIA), of regular and significant

mortality and serious injury of dolphins

in gillnet fisheries harvesting tuna by

vessels flagged under the Governments

of India, Iran, Mozambique, Pakistan,

Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka,

Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates,

and Yemen. This determination triggers

additional documentation requirements

for tuna product from those fisheries

that is exported from or offered for sale

in the United States, including that such

tuna must be accompanied by a written

statement executed by an observer

participating in a national or

international program acceptable to the

Assistant Administrator, in addition to

such statement by the captain of the

vessel, that certifies that no dolphins

were killed or seriously injured in the

sets or other gear deployments in which

the tuna were caught and certain other

required information regarding dolphin

interactions and segregation of tuna.

These determinations were based on

review of scientific information and,

when available, documentary evidence

submitted by the relevant government. },

keywords = {Arabian Sea, Bycatch, Fisheries, India, Marine mammals, NIO, Observer programmes, Oman, Pakistan, reporting scheme, Tanzania, tuna fishery},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}