Field Study 335 | Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction

Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

Article:

Performance in 2004 and 2005 of an alternative leader design on the bycatch of sea turtles and the catch of finfish in Chesapeake Bay pound nets, offshore Kiptopeake, VA

Target catch:

Finfish, including: Atlantic tread herring (Opisthonema oglinum), harvestfish (Peprilus alepidotus), butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis)

Study Type:

Field study in the wild

Effect on target catch:

No difference for four species, increased catch of a fifth

Effect on bycatch species:

Significant reduction of sea turtles bycatch

Bycatch species:

Sea Turtles

Fishing Gear:

Traps

Reduction technique:

Alternative leader design