Behavioral responses of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, to gillnets and acoustic alarms

The authors tested the behavioural response of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to gill nets equipped with active and control Dukane NetMark 1000 pingers. Although dolphins were observed significantly fewer times within a 100m circular buffer zone from the alarms, overall results showed no significant differences in the number of groups observed, or closest approaches by animals to the net, between active and control periods.
Field Studies:

Location	Fishing gear	Reduction technique	Bycatch species	Effect on bycatch species	Catch	Effect on target catch	Type
North Carolina, USA	Gillnets	Acoustic pingers	Small Cetaceans (maximum length < 7.5 meters)	No difference on group size or closest approach to the net between active and control pingers	Mixed	None	In the wild