Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale) | Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction

Incremental fishing gear modifications fail to significantly reduce large whale serious injury rates

Study Type:

Study in the lab

Location:

US Atlantic

Target catch:

Lobster

Effect on bycatch species:

Annual entanglement rates increased between 1999 and 2009

Effect on target catch:

n/a

Article:

Incremental fishing gear modifications fail to significantly reduce large whale serious injury rates

Bycatch species:

Fishing Gear:

Traps

Multivariate analysis of behavioral response experiments in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Location:

Australia

Target catch:

N/A

Effect on bycatch species:

Humpback whales responded to 'tones' by moving offshore and surfacing more often, perhaps trying to avoid the stimuli. Responses to social sounds were more variable.

Effect on target catch:

N/A

Article:

Multivariate analysis of behavioral response experiments in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Bycatch species:

Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale)

Reduction technique:

Acoustic investigation of bycatch mitigation pingers

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Location:

Queensland, Australia

Target catch:

Shark

Effect on bycatch species:

The current net/pinger configuration is adequate for humpback whales, dugongs and dolphins swimming at normal travelling speeds. The current pinger spacing is insufficient for dolphins swimming straight at the net at high speeds.

Effect on target catch:

N/A

Article:

Acoustic investigation of bycatch mitigation pingers

Bycatch species:

Reduction technique:

Acoustic deterrent devices

Fishing Gear:

Gillnets

Effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce interactions between commercial fishing gear and whales

Study Type:

Summary study

Location:

Western Australia

Target catch:

N/A

Effect on bycatch species:

Preliminary results suggest pingers made no difference to Humpback whale behavior

Effect on target catch:

N/A

Article:

Effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce interactions between commercial fishing gear and whales

Bycatch species:

Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale)

Reduction technique:

Acoustic deterrent devices

Fishing Gear:

Traps

Migrating humpback whales show no detectable response to whale alarms off Sydney, Australia

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Location:

Cape Solander, Sydney Australia

Target catch:

N/A

Effect on bycatch species:

There were no differences in behavior of migrating whales when alarms were on or off

Effect on target catch:

N/A

Article:

Migrating humpback whales show no detectable response to whale alarms off Sydney, Australia

Bycatch species:

Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback whale)

Reduction technique:

Acoustic deterrent devices

Implications of fishing rope strength on the severity of large whale entanglements

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Location:

US East Coast and Canadian Maritimes

Target catch:

Various

Effect on bycatch species:

Ropes with a breaking strength of 1,700 lbs or less could reduce life-threatening entanglements of North Atlantic Right whales by at least 72%. Right and humpback were entangled in ropes with stronger breaking strength than those involving minke whales.