Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Extract aggregates from a vessel that is moving rather than static One study examined the effects of dredging from a vessel that is moving rather than static on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the English Channel (UK).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall species richness/diversity (1 study): One site comparison study in the English Channel found that a site where aggregate extraction was undertaken using a moving trailer suction hopper dredger had similar invertebrate species richness and lower diversity compared to a site where extraction occurred using a static suction hopper dredger. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One site comparison study in the English Channel found that a site where aggregate extraction was undertaken using a moving trailer suction hopper dredger had higher abundance of invertebrates compared to a site where extraction occurred using a static suction hopper dredger. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2071https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2071Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:17:57 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Cease or prohibit marine mining One study examined the effects of ceasing or prohibiting mining on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the Bering Sea (USA).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall community composition (1 study): One site comparison study in the Bering Sea found that following cessation of gold mining, overall invertebrate community composition became similar to that of an unmined site. Overall richness/diversity (1 study): One site comparison study in the Bering Sea found that following cessation of gold mining, overall invertebrate richness and diversity became similar to that of an unmined site. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One site comparison study in the Bering Sea found that following cessation of gold mining, overall invertebrate abundance and biomass became similar to that of an unmined site. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2075https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2075Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:43:03 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Leave mining waste (tailings) in place following cessation of disposal operations One study examined the effects of leaving mining waste (tailings) in place following cessation of disposal operations on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in Auke Bay (USA).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall community composition (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in Auke Bay found that plots where mine tailings were left in place had similar invertebrate community composition as plots where tailings had been removed, but both had different communities to plots of natural sediment. Overall richness/diversity (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in Auke Bay found that plots where mine tailings were left in place had similar invertebrate species richness as plots where tailings had been removed, but both had lower richness compared to plots of natural sediment. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in Auke Bay found that plots where mine tailings were left in place had similar invertebrate overall abundance and biomass as plots where tailings had been removed. While plots with and without tailings had similar abundances to plots of natural sediment, their biomasses were higher. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2077https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2077Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:45:29 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Establish territorial user rights for fisheries One study examined the effects of establishing territorial user rights for fisheries on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the South Pacific Ocean (Chile).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Mollusc reproductive success (1 study): One site comparison study in South Pacific Ocean found that an area with territorial user rights for fisheries had larger-sized and more numerous egg capsules, and more larvae of the Chilean abalone up to 21 months after establishing fishing restrictions compared to an open-access area. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2104https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2104Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:32:32 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Install physical barriers to prevent trawling One study examined the effects of installing physical barriers to prevent trawling on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the Bay of Biscay (Spain).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall community composition (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Bay of Biscay found that one to four years after installing artificial reefs as physical barriers to prevent trawling invertebrate community composition changed. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Bay of Biscay found that one to four years after installing artificial reefs as physical barriers to prevent trawling overall invertebrate biomass increased. Echinoderm abundance (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Bay of Biscay found that one to four years after installing artificial reefs as physical barriers to prevent trawling the biomass of sea urchins and starfish increased. Molluscs abundance (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Bay of Biscay found that one to four years after installing artificial reefs as physical barriers to prevent trawling the biomass of gastropods (sea snails), of one species of cuttlefish, and of two species of octopus increased. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2112https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2112Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:40:04 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use a midwater/semi-pelagic trawl instead of bottom/demersal trawl One study examined the effects of using a semi-pelagic trawl instead of a demersal trawl on subtidal benthic invertebrates. The study was in the Indian Ocean (Australia).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Indian Ocean found that fishing with a semi-pelagic trawl did not reduce the abundance of large sessile invertebrates, which was similar to non-trawled plots, but a demersal trawl did. OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Indian Ocean found that fishing with a semi-pelagic trawl reduced the abundance of retained commercially targeted fish compared to fishing with a demersal trawl. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2118https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2118Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:49:40 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use an otter trawl instead of a dredge One study examined the effects of using an otter trawl instead of a dredge on subtidal benthic invertebrates. The study was in the Irish Sea (Isle of Man).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch overall composition (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Irish Sea found that an otter trawl caught a different species composition of unwanted invertebrate and fish species (combined) compared to two scallop dredges. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Irish Sea found no difference in total invertebrate abundance and biomass living in or on the sediment of the trawl tracks following fishing with either an otter trawl or two scallop dredges. Unwanted catch overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Irish Sea found that an otter trawl caught fewer unwanted invertebrates and fish (combined) compared to two scallop dredges. OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the Irish Sea found that an otter trawl caught similar number of commercially targeted queen scallops compared to two scallop dredges. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2123https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2123Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:16:36 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use an otter trawl instead of a beam trawl One study examined the effects of using an otter trawl instead of a beam trawl on subtidal benthic invertebrates. The study was in the North Sea (Germany and Netherlands).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the North Sea found that otter trawls caused similar mortality of invertebrates in the trawl tracks compared to beam trawls in sandy areas but lower mortality in silty areas. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2125https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2125Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:19:09 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use a pulse trawl instead of a beam trawl One study examined the effects of using a pulse trawl instead of a beam trawl on subtidal benthic invertebrates. The study was in the North Sea (Netherlands).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the North Sea found that pulse trawls caught less unwanted invertebrate catch compared to traditional beam trawls, but the effects varied with species. OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, controlled, study in the North Sea found that pulse trawls reduced the volume of commercial catch by 19% compared to beam trawls. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2126https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2126Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:22:02 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use a smaller beam trawl One study examined the effects of using a smaller beam trawl on subtidal benthic invertebrates. The study was in the North Sea (Germany and Netherlands).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Overall abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the North Sea found that a smaller beam trawl caused similar mortality of invertebrates in the trawl tracks compared to a larger beam trawl. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2127https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2127Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:23:07 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Fit a funnel (such as a sievenet) or other escape devices on shrimp/prawn trawl nets One study examined the effects of fitting a funnel, sievenet, or other escape devices on trawl nets on marine subtidal invertebrate. The study was in the North Sea (UK).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the North Sea found that trawl nets fitted with a sievenet appeared to catch fewer unwanted catch of non-commercial invertebrates compared to unmodified nets. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2131https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2131Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:27:16 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Fit one or more mesh escape panels/windows and one or more soft, rigid or semi-rigid grids or frames to trawl nets One study examined the effects on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations of fitting one or more mesh escape panels/windows and one or more soft, rigid or semi-rigid grids or frames to trawl nets . The study was in the Gulf of Carpentaria (Australia).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in Gulf of Carpentaria found that trawl nets fitted with an escape window and a grid reduced the total weight of small unwanted catch and caught fewer unwanted large sponges, compared to unmodified nets. OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in Carpentaria found that trawl nets fitted with an escape window and a grid reduced the catch of commercially targeted prawns, compared to unmodified nets. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2134https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2134Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:52:46 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use a larger codend mesh size on trawl nets One study examined the effects of using a larger codend mesh size on trawl nets on unwanted catch of subtidal benthic invertebrate populations. The study was in the Gulf of Mexico (Mexico).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch species richness/diversity (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Gulf of Mexico found that trawl nets fitted with a larger mesh codend caught fewer combined species of non-commercial unwanted invertebrates and fish compared to a traditional codend. POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Unwanted catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Gulf of Mexico found that trawl nets fitted with a larger mesh codend caught lower combined biomass and abundance of non-commercial unwanted invertebrates and fish compared to a traditional codend. OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Gulf of Mexico found that trawl nets fitted with a larger mesh codend caught less biomass and abundance of commercially targeted shrimps compared to a traditional codend, but that the biomass ratios of commercially targeted to discard species was similar for both. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2135https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2135Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:53:57 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Change the towing speed of a trawl net One study examined the effect of changing the towing speed of a trawl net on catch of marine fish. The study was in the North Sea (Norway).  COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Improved size-selectivity of fishing gear (1 study): One replicated, paired study in the North Sea found that changing the towing speed of a bottom trawl net did not increase the size selectivity of small cod and haddock. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2687https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2687Wed, 02 Dec 2020 10:42:04 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Change the size of the main body of a trawl net One study examined the effects of changing the size of the main body of a trawl net to reduce unwanted catch on marine fish populations. The study was in the North Sea (Norway). COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Improved size-selectivity of fishing gear (1 study): One replicated study in the North Sea found that reducing the size of the main body of a trawl net did not improve the size-selection of cod and haddock. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2705https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2705Thu, 17 Dec 2020 12:05:11 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use netting of contrasting colour in a trawl net One study examined the effect of using netting of contrasting colour in a trawl net on marine fish populations. The study was in the Baltic Sea (Denmark).  COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Baltic Sea found that a trawl codend with contrasting black netting used in conjunction with a square mesh escape panel caught a similar amount of undersized cod as a conventional codend. Improved size-selectivity of fishing gear (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Baltic Sea found that two designs of contrasting netting colour in trawl codends with square mesh escape windows did not improve the size-selectivity of cod compared to conventional codend netting colour. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2718https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2718Tue, 05 Jan 2021 15:46:48 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Fit rigid (as opposed to mesh) escape panels/windows to a trawl net One study examined the effects of fitting rigid escape windows/panels to trawls for fish escape on marine fish populations. The study was in the Baltic Sea.  COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the Baltic Sea found that fitting rigid escape windows in a section of trawl net reduced the catch of unwanted flatfish compared to a trawl net without escape windows. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2719https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2719Tue, 05 Jan 2021 15:50:35 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Fit mesh escape panels/windows to a trawl net and use square mesh instead of diamond mesh codend One study examined the effects of fitting mesh escape panels to a trawl net and using a square mesh instead of a diamond mesh codend on marine fish populations. The study was in the English Channel (UK).  COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One replicated, paired, controlled study in the English Channel found that using a trawl net with square mesh escape panels and a square mesh codend reduced the numbers of discarded finfish compared to a diamond mesh codend with no panels. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2724https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2724Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:56:46 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use an alternative method to commercially harvest plankton One study examined the effect of using an alternative method to commercially harvest plankton on marine fish populations. The study was in the Norwegian Sea (Norway).  COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One controlled study in the Norwegian Sea found that the amount of unwanted fish larvae and eggs in fine-mesh catches of zooplankton were reduced after deployment of a bubble-plume harvester, compared to without deployment. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2731https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2731Thu, 28 Jan 2021 11:41:59 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Limit the number of fishing days One study examined the effects of limiting the number of fishing days on marine fish populations. The study was in the Mediterranean Sea (Italy). COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Abundance (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Mediterranean Sea reported that in the 10 years following a decrease in overall number of days fished by a bottom trawl fleet, there was a higher biomass of thornback and brown rays. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3804https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3804Thu, 26 May 2022 14:24:22 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Limit fishing activity by vessel size and/or engine power One study examined the effects of limiting fishing activity by vessel size and/or engine power on marine fish populations. The study was in the North Sea (Northern Europe).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Abundance (1 study): One before-and-after study in the North Sea found that after vessels with a higher engine power were excluded from an area for half of each year there was a higher abundance of commercially targeted fish, but no difference in the overall abundance of non-commercially targeted fish over five years. In addition, for all fish, abundance was higher for two of eight size-groups. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3809https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3809Thu, 26 May 2022 14:53:03 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Set catch shares by species One study examined the effects of setting catch shares by species on marine fish populations. The study was in the Pacific Ocean (Canada).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Pacific Ocean found that after a species-specific catch share was set (Individual Vessel Bycatch Quota) unwanted halibut catch in a multi-species fishery was reduced, whereas it was higher under a previous catch share system (Individual Transferable Quota) based on all species in the catch. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3814https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3814Fri, 27 May 2022 08:31:55 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Prohibit high grading in which only the most profitable individuals or species are landed One study examined the effects of prohibiting high grading in which only the most profitable individuals or species are landed on marine fish populations. The study was in the North Sea/North Atlantic Ocean (UK).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Commercial catch abundance/landings (1 study): One replicated, before-and-after study in the North Sea/North Atlantic Ocean reported that a ban on high grading did not eliminate the discarding of legal-sized but unwanted common megrim Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis that were required to be landed. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3823https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3823Fri, 27 May 2022 08:55:44 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Implement multi-year or long-term management strategies One study examined the effects of implementing multi-year or long-term management strategies on marine fish populations. The study was worldwide.   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Stock status (1 study): One worldwide study found that commercial fisheries with multi-year or long-term management plans in place, among other management and governance strategies, had stocks that were more likely to be sustainable and less likely to be in decline compared to fisheries typically without long-term objectives. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3825https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3825Fri, 27 May 2022 09:04:24 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use technology to communicate near real-time catch information to fishers to enable avoidance of unwanted catchicate near real-time catch information to fishers to enable avoidance of unwanted catch One study examined the effects of using technology to communicate near real-time catch information to fishers to enable avoidance of unwanted catch on marine fish populations. The study was in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans.   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (1 STUDY) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): A review in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans reported that where technology was used to provide near real-time catch information to fishers there were reductions of unwanted catch or discards in two of three cases. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3826https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3826Fri, 27 May 2022 09:38:00 +0100
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What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

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