Limit or prohibit specific fishing methods

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 1
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Effectiveness

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Certainty

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Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Fishing can impact reptiles by catching individuals unintentionally or causing injury or death through entanglements in fishing gear. Applying restrictions to the use of specific fishing methods (which may include ‘static’ methods such as using lobster/crab pots and traps, or ‘mobile’ methods such as gill nets or trawl nets) in locations or seasons when reptiles are particularly vulnerable to capture may alleviate these threats.

For other studies that investigate the effect of ceasing or prohibiting fishing see Cease or prohibit all types of fishing and Cease or prohibit commercial fishing. For studies that investigate the effect of ceasing or prohibiting fishing at certain times see Establish temporary fishery closures.

Study locations

Key messages

One study evaluated the effects of limiting or prohibiting specific fishing methods on reptile populations. This study was in Brazil.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY)

Abundance (1 study): One site comparison study in Brazil found that in areas where a fishing agreement was implemented that involved limiting the use of gill nets along with a wider suit of measures had more river turtles than areas that did not implement the agreement.

BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A site comparison study in 2009 on a flood plain with a variety of lakes and channels in Pará, Brazil (Miorando et al. 2013) found that areas that had community-based management (CBM) of fishing practices – including limiting use of gill-nets, seasonal fishing restrictions, protecting turtle nesting beaches and a ban on turtle trading – had more river turtles Podocnemis sextuberculata, Podocnemis unifilis and Podocnemis expansa than areas without CBM. The effect of different aspects of the management programme cannot be separated. Turtles were more abundant in areas with CBM (321 individuals) than in areas without CBM (33 individuals). For Podocnemis sextuberculata, abundance was higher in areas with CBM (14 individuals/1,000 m² netting/12 hours) than in areas without (2 individuals/1,000 m² netting/12 hours), and turtle biomass was also greater (with CBM: 20 kg/1,000 m² netting/12 hours; without CBM: 3 kg/1,000 m² netting/12 hours). The fishing agreement that formed the CBM programme had been in place for 20–30 years. While 13 communities in the area were a part of the fishing agreement, only two implemented the agreement. Turtle numbers were sampled at 14 sites (7 with CBM; 7 without CBM) in August–October 2009 using gill nets (15 nets/site; 215 m² nets; 3 each of 5 mesh sizes) with help from local fishers.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Miorando P.S., Rebêlo G.H., Pignati M.T. & Brito Pezzuti J.C. (2013) Effects of community-based management on amazon river turtles: a case study of Podocnemis sextuberculata in the lower Amazon floodplain, Pará, Brazil. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 12, 143-150.

Please cite as:

Sainsbury K.A., Morgan W.H., Watson M., Rotem G., Bouskila A., Smith R.K. & Sutherland W.J. (2021) Reptile Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for reptiles. Conservation Evidence Series Synopsis. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Reptile Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Deploy fishing gear at different depths Action Link	Awaiting assessment	3	Synopsis Link
Limit or prohibit specific fishing methods Action Link	Awaiting assessment	1	Synopsis Link
Cease or prohibit commercial fishing Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link