Policy paper

Marine wildlife bycatch mitigation initiative

Published 10 August 2022

Executive summary

Accidental capture (bycatch) or entanglement in fishing gear is one of the most significant threats globally to the conservation and welfare of marine species, including cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), seabirds, seals and elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays). In the UK, bycatch monitoring programmes estimate that thousands of these animals are caught each year. This is concerning, both from a conservation and animal welfare perspective, and the UK is committed to solving this issue.

Through the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS), the UK government and devolved administrations recognise the need to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of these sensitive marine species as part of a wider effort to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries. Other domestic (for example, the UK marine strategy) and international frameworks also emphasise the urgent need to reduce bycatch.

However, reducing bycatch is complex and likely to require solutions that are tailored to different needs in different fisheries. It is important to bring together all stakeholders, including the fishing industry, non-governmental organisations, and national and international experts, to collaboratively develop and implement solutions that are ambitious, effective and practical.

This bycatch mitigation initiative outlines how the UK will achieve its ambitions to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. This initiative brings together, and builds on, existing work such as the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme and Clean Catch UK, recognising that further actions need to be taken if we are to achieve our objectives.

To do this, we will:

1. Improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species through monitoring and scientific research.
2. Identify “hotspot” or high-risk areas, gear types and/or fisheries for bycatch and entanglement in the UK in which to focus monitoring and mitigation.
3. Develop, adopt and implement effective measures to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.
4. Identify and adopt effective incentives for fisheries to implement bycatch and entanglement mitigation measures.
5. Work with the international community to share best practice and lessons learned to contribute to the understanding, reduction and elimination of bycatch and entanglement globally.

Marine environment and fisheries policy is largely devolved. Each fisheries policy authority (as defined in s52 of the Fisheries Act) is responsible for setting out how they will take action on bycatch, for example through implementation plans. In future, where fisheries policy authorities decide to implement new measures to reduce bycatch in fisheries, this will follow formal consultation processes as appropriate.

Introduction

Accidental capture (bycatch) or entanglement in fishing gear is one of the most significant threats faced globally by sensitive marine species including cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), seabirds, seals and elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays). Bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear has the potential to result in long-term conservation impacts for some species or populations. It also poses a serious welfare issue for individual animals. Individuals or groups of animals can become trapped in fishing gear, which can inflict chronic trauma, restrict their breathing, and result in their death.

In addition to conservation and welfare concerns, the bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species also impacts the sustainability of our fisheries and the safety and welfare of fishers. There is an economic cost to fishers from the additional time needed to remove sensitive marine species from fishing gear, repair or replace damaged or lost gear, as well as any associated loss of catch. The safety and welfare of fishers is another concern as releasing injured or dead sensitive marine species from fishing gear, which can be very large in size or number, can be both distressing and dangerous for fishers.

While it is difficult to determine the exact number of sensitive marine species that are affected by bycatch or entanglement, estimates provide insight into the potential scale of the problem. The most affected marine mammal species in UK waters are thought to be the harbour porpoise, common dolphin, and grey seal. The UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme (BMP) estimated that between 502 to 1,560 harbour porpoises, 165 to 662 common dolphins and 375 to 872 seals (grey and harbour) were captured as bycatch in UK fisheries in 2019 (Kingston et al.,2019). Mortality estimates are not yet produced routinely for non-mammal taxa under the BMP. For seabirds, preliminary estimates from the BMP report that bycatch from UK vessels in longline, gillnet and midwater trawl fisheries may account for thousands of seabird mortalities each year covering several species (Northridge et al., 2020), with fulmar and cormorant being the most affected species in terms of possible population impacts (Miles et al., 2020). However, the estimates have high uncertainty in part because sample sizes are low and possibly unrepresentative of the fleet. While annual bycatch of guillemot was estimated at between 1,800 to 3,300 individuals mainly in static net fisheries (second only to fulmar, with 2,200 to 9,500 individuals bycaught, mainly in the offshore longline fishery), this is thought to impact guillemots relatively little in population terms. Bycatch estimates for elasmobranchs are much harder to quantify because many species are involved and some are caught as part of mixed fisheries, although numbers of elasmobranchs caught are much higher than marine mammals or seabirds.

The UK government and devolved administrations are committed to protecting sensitive marine species, including addressing the threat of bycatch and entanglement to these species in UK waters. Through this bycatch mitigation initiative, the UK government and devolved administrations seek to bring together existing work to monitor and reduce bycatch and outline a list of potential actions that will help meet our commitments including those under the UK marine strategy (to achieve Good Environmental Status) and JFS. The JFS sets out policies that will help meet the Fisheries Act 2020 objectives including the part of the ecosystem objective (that incidental catches of sensitive species are minimised and, where possible, eliminated), which is implemented through this bycatch mitigation initiative. The sensitive marine species currently in the scope of this bycatch mitigation initiative are cetaceans, seabirds, seals and elasmobranchs, although this will be kept under review and could include other species or taxa in the future such as sea turtles and tuna.

Marine environment and fisheries policy is largely devolved. While this initiative describes a range of actions that may help to minimise bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species across the UK, the identification and implementation of specific bycatch measures will be for individual fisheries policy authorities to determine and take forward, reflecting the competence of each fisheries policy authority. There is a need to develop solutions that are specific to different areas of the UK depending on gear type, species caught as bycatch, and consideration of mitigation methods.

As set out in section 11 of the Fisheries Act, fisheries policy authorities will report every three years on the implementation of the JFS and whether the objectives in the Fisheries Act have been achieved, including on the sensitive species bycatch component of the ecosystem objective. Fisheries policy authorities will also report under the UK marine strategy for assessing the indicator for bycatch mortality under the species descriptors. Authorities may establish stakeholder groups to periodically review the progress and outputs of this initiative, including providing technical advice.

Link to wider work on sustainable fisheries and bycatch

While this initiative is focused on the bycatch of sensitive marine species such as cetaceans and seabirds, it is linked to the UK’s wider commitments to sustainable fisheries, including reducing the wasteful discarding of commercially caught fish. This is covered in the bycatch objective of the Fisheries Act 2020, which includes the catching of fish below minimum conservation reference size, and other unwanted bycatch, is avoided or reduced. The JFS sets out UK-wide policies for achieving or contributing to the achievement of the bycatch objective.

Work is underway but more action is needed

The UK government and devolved administrations, along with fisheries stakeholders, are already taking action to monitor, minimise and eliminate the bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species. This builds on efforts over the last few decades by non-governmental organisations, the fishing industry, academics and others across the UK and globally to better monitor and reduce bycatch.

The UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme (BMP) has been operational since 1996 and is co-ordinated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews. The project deploys observers on fishing vessels to record protected species bycatch in a range of fisheries around the UK. It currently focusses primarily on gear types with a high expected or known risk of protected species bycatch.

Defra also funds and chairs the National Steering Group for Clean Catch UK, a co-ordinated stakeholder-led research programme dedicated to better monitoring, reducing, and, where possible, eliminating bycatch of sensitive species. Clean Catch UK is currently developing and trialling a range of monitoring and mitigation measures in different fisheries along Cornwall’s south coast (a known “hotspot” or high-risk area for bycatch) and may expand to a wider area in the future. Recent achievements include the development and roll-out of a bycatch self-reporting mobile application validated by observers and electronic monitoring, trials of technologies including acoustic deterrent devices and passive acoustic reflectors, and the development of an online Bycatch Mitigation Hub with information on different techniques or devices that aim to reduce interactions between fishing gear and sensitive marine species.

For cetaceans, Defra commissioned the SMRU to analyse existing bycatch data, fishing patterns and cetacean distribution to identify “hotspots” for bycatch across the UK (Northridge et al., in prep). Defra has also supported other SMRU bycatch-related research for cetaceans, including pinger trials which led to the use of acoustic deterrent devices in some fleet sectors, testing modifications of commercial gill nets to lower bycatch rates, and the development of acoustic methods to improve our understanding of why cetacean bycatch occurs (Dawson et al., 2012). Other studies have also sought to understand bycatch risk, for example a risk mapping exercise for bycatch of cetaceans and seabirds in the North-Eastern Atlantic, which combined fishing effort data by gear type with density maps for cetacean and seabird species to understand overall bycatch risk (Evans et al., 2021).

Since 1990, the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) has investigated the causes of death of stranded cetaceans and other sensitive marine species around the UK, improving our understanding of, and ability to address, important threats to sensitive marine species such as bycatch and entanglement. The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) has been in operation since 1992 and, as of 2021, is managed by the Scottish Government as a separate project to the CSIP to investigate causes of death in cetaceans and other sensitive marine species in Scotland. The two projects will continue to collaborate and share data to build our understanding of threats including bycatch.

For seabirds, Defra commissioned the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to develop an evidence base for seabird bycatch, which has so far resulted in three publications including a recently published study of methods for seabird bycatch mitigation that have or might be applied to UK fisheries (Anderson et al., 2021). There are projects underway looking at bycatch “hotspots” and possible reasons for these elevated bycatch rates (Northridge et al., in prep) and identifying improvements to seabird bycatch monitoring (JNCC, in prep). Bycatch “toolkits” are also in preparation, which will be practical guides for the fishing industry and regulators to further understand and reduce seabird bycatch in UK fisheries. There is also work underway funded by the Scottish Government to improve understanding of seabird bycatch in longline fisheries and potential solutions.

Measures introduced as a result of initiatives led by fisheries in the north-east England inshore sea trout fixed net fishery have dramatically reduced seabird bycatch. These include a mixture of physical adaptations to fishing gear (for example, high visibility floats and lines) and changes to fishing practices (for example, ensuring net attendance at all times, moving location when feeding flocks of birds are close to nets). While dealing with bycatch, the success of the work in Filey Bay also enabled fishers to showcase their efforts to help safeguard marine species and inform sustainable fishing and demonstrated the importance of collaboration and stakeholder participation in reducing seabird bycatch.

Initiatives led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have also improved understanding of seabird bycatch risk and identified potential solutions in UK waters. These have centred around grassroots engagement and collaboration with fishers to identify and test mitigation measures including a partnership project with Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) and gillnet fishers, and a feasibility study to improve understanding of bycatch risk and potential mitigation measures for the floated demersal longline fishery operating in Scottish waters. Work by the RSPB includes a study combining seabird tracking data with fishing effort data to understand potential areas of bycatch risk with static fishing gear combining seabird tracking data with fishing effort data to understand potential areas of bycatch risk with static fishing gear and commissioning a preliminary assessment of seabird bycatch risk and identification of further work in static net fisheries for the south coast of England with south coast IFCAs (Coram, A. et al., 2015).

For elasmobranchs, Defra has provided funding to increase the understanding of picked dogfish (spurdog), common skate and porbeagle in South-West England. As a result, Defra is working with the fishing industry (Cornish Fish Producers Organisation), scientists (Cefas) and the Shark Trust to manage spurdog bycatch in South-West England. This involves near real-time self-reporting of spurdog bycatch combined with an appropriately sized dead spurdog bycatch quota, with the goal of minimising fishing mortality and reducing wasteful dead discards.

For seals, research projects in England and Scotland have trialled non-lethal means to deter seals from depredating fishing nets and lines, which can result in economic losses for fishers and may lead to seals becoming bycaught. Defra is currently funding further work to test acoustic startling devices to reduce seal depredation and bycatch to test acoustic startling devices to reduce seal depredation and bycatch.

While these projects have shown some successes, fisheries interactions resulting in bycatch and entanglement continue to occur, potentially threatening the conservation status of some of our most iconic marine species. This clearly demonstrates that there is more to do to meet our aim of minimising and, where possible, eliminating the bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.

A stakeholder-led approach

The challenge of addressing bycatch and entanglement whilst simultaneously ensuring productive commercial fisheries is complex and should not be underestimated. There is no “one size fits all” approach. There must be local solutions for local challenges as each fishery is different and faces a unique set of challenges. That is why this initiative acknowledges the need for fisheries policy authorities to work closely with stakeholder groups across the actions identified below to meet its objectives to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species. These stakeholders could include the fishing industry, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), scientists, experts and innovators.

Addressing bycatch of sensitive marine species is an important part of fisheries management strategies and the fishing industry’s engagement, support and direct involvement is fundamental to ensuring we reach our objectives. We must achieve our aim to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species while also ensuring that fisheries remain biologically and economically viable. The actions should be ambitious but achievable for the fishing industry to adopt. We are most likely to achieve this by working closely with the fishing industry in the planning, development and implementation of this initiative.

While this stakeholder-led approach is important, fisheries policy authorities are ultimately responsible for implementing the bycatch mitigation initiative as a whole and ensuring that approaches are coordinated at a national level. Fisheries policy authorities will also be able to enact measures at a fishery or national level where appropriate following formal consultation processes.

Policy and legislation related to bycatch

The UK is committed to protecting sensitive marine species from pressures and threats, including bycatch and entanglement. This work is supported by a range of domestic and international frameworks including those which apply to all sensitive marine species and those that are specific to different animal groups:

General policy and legislation

Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement

The Fisheries Act 2020 includes an “ecosystem objective” which has an objective to minimise and, where possible, eliminate incidental catches of sensitive marine species. The JFS contains policies on how fisheries policy authorities will achieve or contribute to the achievement of fisheries objectives in the Fisheries Act, including minimising and where possible eliminating the incidental catches of sensitive marine species (part of the ecosystem objective). This initiative and the policies that are developed as a consequence of this initiative support the ecosystem objective in the JFS. In addition to the ecosystem objective, this work will intersect with other objectives of the Fisheries Act and associated policies in the JFS including the “bycatch objective” (to reduce bycatch of non-target commercial fish species), the “scientific evidence objective” (that scientific data is collected, shared and used for management decisions), and the “national benefit objective” (that fishing activities bring social or economic benefits).

The UK Marine Strategy

The UK marine strategy provides a framework under the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 for assessing and monitoring the status of our seas and to put in place the measures needed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES). For cetaceans, seals and seabirds, this is evaluated, in part, through assessing the conservation impacts of bycatch mortality, with an objective that the long-term viability of these populations is not threatened by bycatch.

25 Year Environment Plan (England only)

The 25 Year Environment Plan recognises that sustainable fisheries require an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and commits the government to “bring in a world-class fisheries management system that… helps to restore and protect the marine ecosystem”. It also commits to a fisheries management system that will “account for, and seek to minimise, impacts on non-commercial species and the marine environment generally, including through technical conservation measures”.

Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy (Scotland only)

Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out a ten-year vision for Scotland to be a responsible and sustainable fisheries manager. This is reflected in the 12-point action plan contained within the strategy which includes actions including the introduction of a new catching policy, adopting the principles of ecosystem-based management and enhancing vessel tracking and monitoring which will help gather scientific data and improve management in our waters.

Technical Conservation Measures

Retained Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 lays out technical measures aimed at conserving fisheries resources and protecting marine ecosystems including an objective to “ensure that incidental catches of sensitive marine species that result from fishing are minimised and where possible eliminated such that they do not represent a threat to the conservation status of these species”. This legislation also includes measures to help achieve that objective, such as a requirement for certain vessels to use an acoustic deterrent device (‘pinger’) to reduce cetacean bycatch. This applies to vessels >12m that use bottom set gill or entangling nets in certain areas at certain times of year.

Habitats and Birds Regulations

The Habitats and Birds Regulations including national legislation implementing the EU Birds Directive and EU Habitats Directive make it an offence to deliberately capture, kill or disturb certain animals. This legislation includes the:

• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England, Wales and Scotland
• Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
• Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994
• Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995
• Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017

Within these, there are provisions related to bycatch, for example, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 require the establishment of a system to monitor the incidental capture and killing of certain species, make arrangements for further research, and ensure that conservation measures are taken so that any incidental capture does not have a significant negative impact on that species. Within England, under the Environment Act 2021, Natural England may prepare and publish species conservation strategies which include opinions on measures to avoid, mitigate or compensate for any adverse impacts on the conservation status of species within England or part of England.

Multilateral environmental agreements

The UK is a Contracting Party to various multilateral environmental agreements (MEA) including the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), certain CMS “daughter” agreements, and the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). The UK engages in policy work on sensitive species bycatch within the framework of these MEAs. For example, through OSPAR, the UK reports on indicators including harbour porpoise bycatch, and abundances of marine birds, seals, sensitive fish species and cetaceans, and is contributing to a pilot assessment on marine bird bycatch.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries states that “Member States should take appropriate measures to minimise… catch of non-target species, both fish and non-fish species, and negative impacts on associated or dependent species, in particular endangered species. Where appropriate, such measures may include technical measures related to fish size, mesh size or gear, discards, closed seasons and areas and zones reserved for selected fisheries, particularly artisanal fisheries”. In 1998, the FAO developed an International Plan of Action to reduce seabird mortality in longline fisheries, and in 2009, published best practice technical guidelines which expanded this seabird Plan of Action to all fisheries In 2021, the FAO published guidelines to prevent and reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries.

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises)

UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy

The UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy aims to ensure effective management to achieve and/or maintain favourable conservation status for nine species of cetaceans most commonly found in UK waters. It includes objectives to identify vulnerabilities and pressures on populations of the nine species and includes actions to “continue to develop and implement a UK bycatch mitigation initiative” and to “improve understanding of entanglements and work towards developing strategies to reduce this threat”. This strategy is subject to change following a consultation that closed on 14 June 2021.

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW)

The UK plays an active role as a Contracting Party to the ICRW which works to address a range of cetacean conservation issues including bycatch. The International Whaling Commission, the ICRW’s governing body, has a Bycatch Mitigation Initiative which aims to develop, assess and promote effective bycatch prevention and mitigation measures worldwide.

Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS)

The UK is a Contracting Party to ASCOBANS, a regional agreement under the auspices of CMS. ASCOBANS parties recognise that bycatch is a significant threat to small cetacean populations in the agreement area and the Meeting of the Parties (MoP) has adopted several Resolutions on monitoring programmes and mitigation measures to reduce cetacean bycatch. ASCOBANS MoP has an intermediary precautionary aim to reduce annual bycatch to less than 1% of the best available population estimate, with the ultimate aim being to reduce it to zero.

Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972 (MMPA)

The MMPA requires nations including the UK which seek to continue to export fish and fish products to the USA to be held to the same standards as US commercial fishing operations in relation to the protection of marine mammals from bycatch. These nations have to obtain a “comparability finding” which demonstrates that their fishing regimes and regulatory frameworks are in compliance with the MMPA. In addition to changes in domestic legislation, in 2021, the UK implemented a licence condition on vessel operators in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone to report all intentional and incidental mortality and injury of all marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing operations.

For further international frameworks relevant to the bycatch of cetaceans, refer to Annex 1 of the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) Bycatch Mitigation Initiative’s strategic plan.

Seabirds

Seabird Conservation Strategies (in development in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

These strategies will aim to ensure effective management to optimise the conservation prospects for seabird species in UK waters. This bycatch mitigation initiative will contribute to meeting the objectives of the seabird conservation strategies.

Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)

The UK is a Contracting Party to AEWA, an agreement under the auspices of CMS. AEWA aims to coordinate international effort for the conservation and management of migratory waterbirds and their habitats including seabirds. The agreement provides for a range of conservation measures to be undertaken by parties including actions to address the impact of bycatch on seabird populations. AEWA’s Action Plan urges parties to take appropriate actions to minimise the impact of fisheries on migratory waterbirds, especially to address incidental killing and bycatch in fishing gear.

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)

The UK is a Contracting Party to ACAP, an agreement under the auspices of the CMS which seeks to conserve 31 listed species of albatross, petrel and shearwater by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations. These are among the most threatened bird groups on the planet, with thousands dying every year as a result of fisheries operations. Many of the species are found in the southern hemisphere and breed in the UK’s Overseas Territories in the south Atlantic. However, one of the ACAP listed species, the Balearic shearwater, occurs within metropolitan UK waters and is therefore vulnerable to bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear in these waters. Much of ACAP parties’ work has focused on bycatch mitigation, monitoring and reporting and the ACAP Meeting of the Parties has produced best practice guidelines for reducing seabird bycatch in fisheries.

Seals

The Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972 (MMPA): as above

Seals legislation

For wider legislation relevant to seals, see our seals guidance. It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take a seal under:

• Conservation of Seals Act 1970
• Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
• Marine (Scotland) Act 2010

Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays)

Elasmobranch bycatch is different in many respects from bycatch of marine mammals and seabirds. While some elasmobranch species (such as basking shark) are perceived more like wildlife and afforded greater protection, many elasmobranch species have been or continue to be commercially fished. This means that the methods and approaches to addressing elasmobranch bycatch have different mechanisms and drivers to other sensitive marine species.

There are various restrictions in place depending on the elasmobranch species. For example, picked dogfish (spurdog), common skate and porbeagle are prohibited species meaning they cannot be targeted, retained, trans-shipped or landed, and are not subject to the landing obligation. However, in the UK, there is currently a small bycatch allowance for spurdog for named vessels participating in the spurdog bycatch management programme. Skates and rays are often caught and retained from mixed fisheries.

Policy objectives

This initiative brings together existing work to minimise bycatch under one strategy and commits to supporting a programme of work that will enable us to meet obligations, for example under the Fisheries Act 2020 and UK marine strategy, to minimise and eliminate the bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species in fishing gear.

The overall aim of this initiative is:

To minimise, and where possible, eliminate bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species in UK waters.

We have identified five policy objectives that will be important to achieving this overall aim:

1. Improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species through monitoring and scientific research.

2. Identify “hotspot” or high-risk areas, gear types and/or fisheries for bycatch and entanglement in the UK in which to focus monitoring and mitigation.

3. Develop, adopt and implement effective measures to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.

4. Identify and adopt effective incentives for fisheries to implement bycatch and entanglement mitigation measures.

5. Work with the international community to share best practice and lessons learned to contribute to the understanding, reduction and elimination of bycatch and entanglement globally.

As part of this initiative, we have identified a non-exhaustive list of actions that could help to achieve the above objectives and described what outcomes could result from taking these actions. Each fisheries policy authority is responsible for considering which actions (from this list or otherwise) may be relevant in their waters, how actions will be implemented with regards to specific species, areas or fisheries, and in what order and timescale.

Objective 1: Monitoring and scientific research

We will improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species through monitoring and scientific research.

Actions that could be taken to achieve this include:

Invest

Continue to invest in existing bycatch monitoring and research programmes to ensure these are targeted towards the highest risk fisheries and provide adequate representative data for each animal group (cetaceans, seabirds, seals, elasmobranchs) and for different areas and gear types in UK waters.

Fill knowledge gaps

Build on monitoring programmes to address knowledge gaps (for example, for areas of low coverage, unmonitored fleets) and capture finer-scale information (for example, temporal patterns, demographic information) about bycatch.

Innovate

Diversify how bycatch information is collected by developing and, where proven to be effective, scaling-up cost-effective approaches for bycatch monitoring such as electronic monitoring, citizen science, validated self-reporting, and acoustic monitoring.

Collate

Bring together these data from multiple sources so that they are used to complement each other within an overall analysis and validation framework and, as far as possible, make data accessible to stakeholders.

Assess

Commission scientific assessments of bycatch data to produce rates of bycatch for different species and different areas and gear types in UK waters.

Research

Commission wider research projects to develop a greater understanding of the conservation, ecosystem and welfare impacts of bycatch.

Outcomes

Successful outcomes for this objective could be:

Across the UK, there is a portfolio of effective data collection initiatives, consisting of observer monitoring programmes and other approaches (for example, electronic monitoring, validated self-reporting) which provide representative data on bycatch and entanglement with enough statistical power to determine bycatch rates over time, particularly in the highest risk fisheries.

Research outputs have improved the understanding of the incidence of bycatch and entanglement events, both in fisheries that are currently monitored and in fisheries where there are knowledge gaps. Research outputs have also improved the understanding of the conservation, ecosystem and welfare impacts of bycatch.

This information has subsequently been used to inform which fisheries are the highest risk “hotspots” for bycatch and entanglement (objective 2) and in which fisheries mitigation measures are most needed to minimise bycatch and entanglement (objective 3).

As far as possible, data and research outputs are accessible to stakeholders, which has enabled a wider application of the evidence base

Objective 2: Identifying “hotspots” or high-risk areas, gear types and fisheries

We will identify high-risk areas, gear types and/or fisheries for bycatch and entanglement in the UK in which to focus monitoring and mitigation with the ultimate goal being to minimise, and where possible, eliminate bycatch in these areas (objective 3).

Actions that could be taken to achieve this include:

Identify “hotspots”

Commission research to bring together information from various sources (for example, monitoring programmes, modelling approaches, existing assessments of “hotspots”, commissioned research, and strandings data) to better understand under what circumstances (where, when, how) bycatch is most likely to occur. Consider this alongside species abundance, demographic information and vulnerability assessments to establish “hotspots” where bycatch is occurring at high rates and/or impacting vulnerable populations.

Target action

Use this information to target and scale-up monitoring (objective 1) and mitigation (objective 3) in “hotspots” by prioritising resources effectively.

Review

Conduct reviews of risk given that “hotspots” could change depending on, for example, changes in the distribution of animals or fishing effort.

Outcomes

Successful outcomes for this objective could be:

“Hotspots” have been identified for each animal group (cetaceans, seabirds, seals, elasmobranchs) based on:

• an understanding of the areas, gears and/or fisheries in the UK where bycatch and entanglement are most likely to occur
• an understanding of which populations within each of the animal groups are most vulnerable to bycatch and entanglement

The information about “hotspots” has subsequently been used to target monitoring (objective 1) and mitigation measures (objective 3) such that bycatch and entanglement is minimised and, where possible, eliminated in these areas

Objective 3: Measures to minimise bycatch

We will develop, adopt and implement effective measures to minimise, and where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species in UK waters.

Actions that could be taken to achieve this include:

Identify gaps

Evaluate the effectiveness of existing bycatch mitigation measures for each animal group and different parts of the fishing fleet and identify where there is a need to do more.

Scale-up

Increase the use of existing mitigation measures that are demonstrated to be effective and reflective of best practice.

Innovate

Where there are gaps in the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures, support the development of new technologies and approaches such as deterrents, technical modification to gears, and alternative gears.

Adapt to context

Ensure any mitigation measures are consistent with wider environmental objectives; tailored to the needs of each animal group; fit for purpose given regional and local contexts; and effort is prioritised where it is most needed (in bycatch “hotspots”).

Review

Commission research to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of mitigation measures to minimise bycatch and entanglement. If the measures have not achieved desired outcomes, consider what further measures are needed.

Regulate

Explore opportunities to strengthen fisheries management measures where this would be effective at minimising bycatch and entanglement.

Communicate

Increase the awareness and adoption of mitigation measures through communications and outreach initiatives including by developing tools to increase awareness of the mitigation measures available and by directly engaging with the fishing industry.

Outcomes

Successful outcomes for this objective could be:

There are a range of mitigation measures in place which are suited to local contexts and working effectively to minimise bycatch and entanglement across all animal groups, particularly in bycatch “hotspots”.

There is a process in place for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of measures and reviewing whether further measures are needed to meet desired outcomes.

The fishing industry and fisheries managers are aware of the range of mitigation measures that are required and/or available to them, and they are supported to use them in line with best practice.

Opportunities to strengthen fisheries management measures have been explored and acted upon.

Minimising bycatch of sensitive marine species is an important part of fisheries management policies.

Objective 4: Incentives for implementation

We will identify and adopt effective incentives for fisheries to implement bycatch reduction measures.

Actions that could be taken to achieve this include:

Understand

Ensure that socio-economic costs to the fishing industry and fishing communities are understood and considered as part of the decision-making process to ensure that actions do not lead to disproportionate costs for the fishing industry.

Facilitate

Where available, enable access to financial and other support to help the fishing industry to implement bycatch mitigation measures.

Research

Commission a review of bycatch reduction and fisheries management case studies internationally to understand the role of a range of incentives-based policies (both financial and behavioural) in determining their success, and their potential applicability in the UK.

Develop policy

Develop and consult on a range of policy options to improve incentives for the implementation of bycatch mitigation measures.

Outcomes

Successful outcomes on this objective could be:

Fishing industries and communities are central to the decision-making process around the implementation of bycatch mitigation measures.

The fishing industry and fishing communities have not experienced disproportionate costs resulting from the implementation of bycatch mitigation measures.

Financial and behavioural incentives have been used effectively to remove barriers and encourage increased uptake of bycatch mitigation measures.

Objective 5: Working internationally

We will work with the international community to share best practice and lessons learned to contribute to the understanding, reduction and elimination of bycatch globally.

Actions that could be taken to achieve this include:

Share knowledge

Engage with international partners (including neighbouring coastal states) to share information about monitoring and mitigation measures to minimise bycatch, showcase UK research and initiatives, and take on board international best practice to improve UK initiatives.

Demonstrate global leadership

Advocate through Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) for the adoption and implementation of effective bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures globally, for example by developing, tabling and supporting strong bycatch proposals.

Contribute resources

Contribute available funding and expertise to international bycatch initiatives, including bycatch monitoring through OSPAR and initiatives through MEAs such as the IWC’s Bycatch Mitigation Initiative and UNEP/ASCOBANS bycatch programme.

Outcomes

Successful outcomes for this objective could be:

Lessons learned from UK initiatives have been shared with international partners. The UK has engaged in discussions on international best practice, which has then been applied to improve UK initiatives.

Effective proposals to tackle bycatch have been adopted through MEAs and RFMOs. The UK has led or supported other countries leading these proposals.

UK funding and expertise has contributed to international bycatch initiatives delivering on their objectives.

Glossary

This glossary provides definitions within the context of this UK bycatch mitigation initiative:

Bycatch: The unintended capture or entanglement of non-target species in fishing gear often resulting in serious injury or mortality.

Cetaceans: A marine mammal of the order of Cetacea; a whale, dolphin or porpoise.

Devolution: The statutory granting of powers from the central government to governments at a sub-national level. In the UK it means that there are separate legislatures and executives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Elasmobranchs: A cartilaginous fish of a group that comprises sharks, rays, and skates.

Entanglement: The process by which animals become entwined or trapped in fishing gear.

Mitigation: Reducing the risk of species impacts including mortality from bycatch and entanglement.

Sensitive marine species: Marine species whose populations are vulnerable to bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear in the UK, including (but not limited to) cetaceans, seals, elasmobranchs and seabirds.

Stranding: Phenomenon in which whales, dolphins and porpoises strand themselves on land, usually a beach, which can result in their death.