Follow Lenfest on Twitter
Research
Andrew Read (Duke University, NC, USA)
Accidental capture, or bycatch, of sea turtles in pelagic longline fishing gear is a global conservation concern. Research has indicated that replacing traditional fishing hooks with circle hooks has reduced turtle deaths, but it is unclear whether they have been universally successful at reducing bycatch. This project reviews the published literature on pelagic longline circle hook experiments in the Northwestern Atlantic, Azores, Ecuador and Gulf of Mexico.
Patricia Majluf (Fundacion Cayatano Heredia, Peru)
The Peruvian anchovy fishery is the second largest fishery in the world. Caught almost exclusively for the production of fish oil and fishmeal to supply the growing aquaculture industry, Peruvian anchovies account for 30 percent of the total worldwide fishmeal trade. This project develops an ecosystem model of the Peruvian anchovy fishery which evaluates the impacts of fisheries management decisions on predators, prey and the functioning of the marine ecosystem.
Andrew Pershing (University of Maine, ME, USA)
Many fisheries disproportionately target large fish. The tendency to harvest the “big ones” has led to changes in the size structure of heavily fished populations. This project will use models to investigate the consequences of removing large fish on individual populations and the broader ecosystem, using North Atlantic cod and Atlantic bluefin tuna as examples.
John Volpe (University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
Since 1970, the aquaculture industry has grown 9.2 percent, making aquaculture the fastest growing agricultural sector globally. A critical component of ensuring that fish farms do not harm their surrounding environments is understanding what scientific standards should be used to judge whether an aquaculture facility is sustainable. This project establishes a performance index for aquaculture farms that measures the impact of the global industry across a range of environmental indicators.
Veerle Huvenne (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK)
Researchers have documented habitat destruction of deep water corals by bottom trawling gear, which scrapes along the sea floor. The deep-water banks off Britain are well-known fishing grounds for deep sea trawling fleets, some of which were closed to fishing in 2003. This project will look at the recovery of those deep sea habitats in the North Atlantic Ocean to help determine the timelines necessary for deep sea habitat to recover from the effects of bottom trawling.
Murdoch McAllister (University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada)
All species of tuna in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are increasingly threatened by fishing pressure. One of the most critical steps to conserve these species is to establish an accurate assessment of each population’s status. This project evaluates and improves the scientific methodology for assessing the status of tuna populations in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Eric Gilman (Hawaii Pacific University, HI, USA)
Many species, such as seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals and sharks, are caught as bycatch in fishing nets. This project will analyze the current bycatch management practices held by the 18 Regional Fisheries Management Organizations that govern high seas fisheries, and identify deficits and inconsistencies, as well as priority areas in need of improvement.
Albert Tacon (Aquatic Farms Ltd., HI, USA)
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, about 34 percent of the total global reported fisheries catch (mainly small pelagic forage fish species) is not consumed directly by humans, but rather processed into fish meal and fish oil for use in animal feeds and aquaculture. This project assesses the competition between catch of small forage fish for direct human consumption and for reduction into fishmeal and fish oil for use as aquaculture and agriculture feed.
Mark Carr (University of California, CA, USA)
Kelp forests contribute significantly to the productivity of shallow marine ecosystems and provide habitat to fish and invertebrates. However, the commercial demand for kelp has increased, resulting in an expansion in the types of kelp harvested. This project reviews the ecology of the two types of kelp along the West coast of North America, addresses the current and future human uses and threats to the species, and discusses approaches to managing these resources.
Sarah Fowler (NatureBureau, England)
European fisheries target sharks around the world, some of which are listed as threatened or endangered. One of the most valuable parts of the shark is its fins, eaten as a delicacy primarily in Southeast Asia. Shark meat is less profitable, which results in fishermen cutting off the fins and discarding the carcass back into the sea, a practice called shark finning. This project convened a scientific workshop on measurement methodologies used to regulate shark finning in Europe.