Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Midwood, J. D., Cairns, N. A., Stoot, L. J., Cooke, S. J., & Blouin-Demers, G. (2014). Bycatch mortality can cause extirpation in four freshwater turtle species. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, (early view).
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (06 Jul 2014 16:11:54 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article DOI: 10.1002/aqc.2475 BibTeX citation key: Midwood2014 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Habitat - habitat, Nordamerika - North America, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Testudinidae, Testudo graeca, Testudo hermanni, Testudo horsfieldii, Testudo kleinmanni, Testudo marginata Creators: Blouin-Demers, Cairns, Cooke, Midwood, Stoot Collection: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems |
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Views index: 22% Popularity index: 5.5% |
| Abstract |
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ABSTRACT Bycatch of non-target species in commercial fishing nets can have adverse impacts on their populations. Freshwater turtle populations are particularly susceptible to increases in adult mortality, and freshwater turtles are among the most threatened vertebrates. As a case study, the population-level impacts of bycatch mortality on freshwater turtles were evaluated in Lake Opinicon, Ontario, Canada, a lake that supports a small-scale commercial fishery. Using population viability analyses, the impacts of bycatch on common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), eastern musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus), northern map turtles (Graptemys geographica), and painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) were evaluated. In all four species, even low levels of additional annual female mortality as a result of bycatch were sufficient either to reduce population size or to cause extirpation of the local population within 500 years. Bycatch reduction programmes, such as seasonal closures and implementation of bycatch reduction devices, can help alleviate the risk of extirpation. Changes to fishing season length could help reduce the number of snapping turtles and musk turtles captured. Installation of simple bycatch reduction devices can exclude between 95% and 100% of snapping turtles and between 0% and 97% of the other three species, depending on the width of the exclusion device. If combined, these two bycatch reduction methods would help prevent adult female mortality and help maintain turtle populations in Lake Opinicon. Although these findings are specific to the study area, the same principles apply to other areas where similar simple bycatch reduction strategies can be employed to prevent the extirpation of other freshwater turtle species. Considering the consequences of bycatch and of bycatch reduction programmes on populations provides managers with important information to support development of risk-averse conservation strategies.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |