Asmutis-Silvia
Regina A.
Asmutis-Silvia
Regina A.
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PresentationDon’t assume it’s ghost gear : accurate gear characterization is critical for entanglement mitigation [poster](Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2017-10-25) Henry, Allison G. ; Barco, Susan G. ; Cole, Tim ; Johnson, Amanda ; Knowlton, Amy R. ; Landry, Scott ; Mattila, David K. ; Moore, Michael J. ; Robbins, Jooke ; van der Hoop, Julie ; Asmutis-Silvia, ReginaEntanglement is a significant conservation and welfare issue which is limiting the recovery of a number of marine species, including marine mammals. It is therefore important to reliably identify the causes of these events, including the nature of the entangling gear in order to reduce or prevent them in the future. A recently published review of marine debris assessed 76 publications and attributed a total of 1805 cases of cetacean entanglements in “ghost gear”, of which 78% (n=1413) were extracted from 13 peer reviewed publications. We examined the 13 publications cited in the review and found that the specific gear type or status of gear involved in the reported events was rarely mentioned beyond the fact that it was fishing related. This is likely due to the fact that determinations of debris as the entangling material are very difficult. In fact, in reviewing 10 years of large whale entanglement records for the U.S., the authors of another study reported that Hawaii was the only region in which any entangling gear was positively identified as ghost gear. The assumption that entangling gear is marine debris unless otherwise stated is dangerous because it could impact efforts to modify or restrict risk-prone fishing in key marine mammal habitats. Entanglement in actively fished gear poses a very real threat, and claims that only lost or abandoned fishing gear is responsible for entanglements can undermine conservation efforts.
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PreprintRebuttal to published article “A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs” by M. Stelfox, J. Hudgins, and M. Sweet( 2016-11) Asmutis-Silvia, Regina ; Barco, Susan G. ; Cole, Tim ; Henry, Allison G. ; Johnson, Amanda ; Knowlton, Amy R. ; Landry, Scott ; Mattila, David K. ; Moore, Michael J. ; Robbins, Jooke ; van der Hoop, JulieWe reviewed the findings of the recently published article by Stelfox et al. (2016): “A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs” published in this journal (Volume 111, pp 6–17) and found that they are both flawed and misleading as they do not accurately reflect the prevalence of “ghost gear” cases reported in the literature. While we commend the authors for recognizing the importance of attempting to quantify the threat and for recommending more comprehensive databases, the methods, results and conclusions of this review have not advanced the understanding of the issue. As authors of the papers on whale entanglements in the North Atlantic that were reviewed by Stelfox et al. (2016) and others who are knowledgeable about the topic, we provide specific comments regarding misrepresentations of both the source of entanglement (e.g., actively fished gear versus “ghost gear”) and the number of reported entanglements for whale species included in the North Atlantic.
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Technical ReportReport of the 6th Annual Ropeless Consortium Meeting: continued development and policy impact of on-demand fishing to prevent large whale entanglements(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2025-07) Vezina, Elizabeth J. ; Asmutis-Silvia, Regina A. ; Fuller, Erica A. ; Knowlton, Amy R. ; Pettis, Heather M. ; Baumgartner, Mark F. ; Brillant, Sean W. ; Moore, Michael J.Seasonally closed trap fishery areas mitigate large whale entanglement risk. Acoustic retrieval of bottom traps without persistent vertical lines can restore fishery access. Concerns include functionality, cost and operational constraints of acoustically triggered ‘on-demand’ buoyant bottom-stowed line or an inflatable lift bags. Without surface gear attached to a vertical line from the trap(s), virtual gear marking and on-demand gear interoperability remain concerns. U.S.A. east coast lobster and west coast crab, as well as Canadian snow crab have been harvested using on-demand gear in areas otherwise seasonally closed. U.S.A. South Atlantic black sea bass fishery regulations reopened closed areas to on-demand systems. Challenges include bottom gear location estimation and minimizing gear conflict with fixed and mobile gear fisheries. Enforcement solutions include development of a single deck box triggering multiple brands of ondemand gear, and adoption of interoperable acoustic communication standards. Satellite or cellular communication of gear positions between interested vessels must be interoperable between brands of on-demand gear and navigational systems. Policies by which position data will be shared between different user groups are also under discussion. All these facets must be integrated into a regulatory framework in both the U.S.A., and Canada towards sustainability for fisheries and whales globally.