Behavioral responses of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) to experimental fishing gear in a coastal environment

Location
Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada
Article
Target catch
Crab and whelk
Study Type
Field study in the wild
Effect on target catch
None reported
Effect on bycatch species
Minke whales decreased swimming velocity and altered bearing when approaching a rope, particularly when ropes were black and white; some minke's altered underwater swimming trajectories when passing ropes and produced low-frequency vocalizations.
Fishing Gear
Reduction technique