AUTHOR=Izquierdo-Serrano Mar , Revuelta Ohiana , Míguez-Lozano Raúl , Gozalbes Patricia , Ruiz-García David , Raga Juan Antonio , Tomás Jesús 

TITLE=Assessment of the interactions between cetaceans and fisheries at the south of the Cetacean Migration Corridor and neighboring waters (Western Mediterranean)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.981638

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.981638

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The Cetacean Migration Corridor is an important marine protected area for cetacean species in the Western Mediterranean, and part of its waters constitute the main fishing grounds for the Valencia region (East Spain) fishing fleet. Here we aim to assess interactions between all active fisheries operating in waters of the Valencia region and cetacean species inhabiting this area. A total of 282 face-to-face interviews (51.37% of the total fleet) to fishers were held on 20 ports at the study area to gather information about cetacean by-catch and all types of interactions between fisheries and cetaceans. Interviewed bottom trawlers (n=148 boats) reported a monthly by-catch rate (C) of 0.01 dolphins per vessel. Bottom trawling vessels operating at neritic zones only reported by-catch of common bottlenose dolphin (C=0.009), while those fishing at oceanic zones by-caught striped dolphin (C=0.006) and common bottlenose dolphin (C=0.003). Interviewed artisanal fishers, the second most important fishery in the study area (n=114 boats), only reported one dolphin by-catch event but 90 of these boats communicated continued negative interactions with common bottlenose dolphin, causing gear damage and catch take. Interviewed vessels gave an estimation of their annual economic loss produced by this interaction (mean± SD: 2998.10± 2095.02 € per boat). Other fisheries operating in the Valencia region were purse-seiners (n=15 boats) and pelagic longlines, a fishery that almost has disappeared in the study area (n=5 boats). The first one had the highest estimated dolphin by-catch rate (C=0.04) and mainly interacted with common bottlenose dolphin but also with striped dolphin. Information gathered from interviews was complimented with long-term stranding data (1990-2020). Despite only 7.80% of all recorded stranded cetaceans showed fisheries interaction signs, 26.72% of the common bottlenose dolphins recorded showed evidence of this interaction, thus confirming that it is the cetacean species most affected by fisheries in the area. Records of stranded striped dolphin (6.45%) also showed evidences of fisheries interaction. According to both, dolphin by-catch and gear damage, management plans to assure cetacean conservation and fisheries sustainability are needed in waters including and neighboring marine protected areas in the Spain’s Mediterranean.