Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use a different hook type Twenty-five studies examined the effect of using a different hook type on marine fish populations. Nine studies were in the Atlantic Ocean (Portugal, South Africa, USA, Brazil, Portugal, Iceland), six studies were in Pacific Ocean (New Zealand, Japan, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Fiji) and two studies were in the Mediterranean Sea (Spain, Italy). One study was in each of the Barents Sea (Norway), the Denmark Strait (Greenland), the Coral Sea (Australia) and the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain/Morocco). Four studies were reviews (worldwide, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans). COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (10 STUDIES) Survival (10 studies): Four of seven replicated, controlled studies in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Coral Sea and two of three worldwide systematic reviews, found that using different hook types in longline or recreational fisheries, including sizes, styles and other modifications to hooks, reduced the incidence of fish hook injuries (associated with higher post-release mortality), and reduced the capture mortality of some species of unwanted sharks and rays and non-target billfish species, compared to conventional hooks or other hook types. The other four studies found that using a different hook type did not reduce the post-release mortality of young sea breams, or the capture mortality of sharks species and non-target fish species, but did reduce the incidence of deep-hooking in some cases. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (23 STUDIES) Reduction of unwanted catch (20 studies): Eight of 16 replicated studies (13 controlled, one randomized) in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Barents Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Denmark Strait and Coral Sea, found that using a different hook type, including different sizes, styles and hook modifications, reduced the unwanted catch in longline and recreational hook fisheries of non-commercially targeted and targeted fish species, small non-target fish species, overall fish catch, overall discarded bony fish catch but not sharks and rays, undersized haddock, two of three unwanted fish species, non-target sharks and rays and non-target rays and sailfish, compared to standard hooks or hooks of other types. Seven studies found that changing hook type did not reduce the unwanted catch of young or non-target fish species, unwanted sharks and rays, unwanted blue shark, unwanted roughhead grenadier or non-target pelagic stingray and silky shark, compared to standard or other hook types. The other study found that catch rates of young groupers, and non-target fish and shark species varied with hook design, and larger hooks caught fewer non-target fish species overall, but more undersized grouper and sharks compared to other hook types. Four global systematic reviews found that hook style did not affect the unwanted catch of billfish species, sharks and rays or sharks, compared to standard styles. Improved size-selectivity of fishing gear (3 studies): Two of three replicated studies in the Atlantic Ocean and Strait of Gibraltar, found that increasing hook sizes improved the size-selectivity (by increasing the average catch length) of hottentot and black spot seabream compared to smaller hook sizes. The other study found that a different hook size improved size selectivity for two of five commercially targeted fish species and was also affected by bait size. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2698https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F2698Tue, 08 Dec 2020 15:46:56 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use circle hooks instead of J-hooks Eleven studies evaluated the effects of using circle hooks instead of J-hooks on reptile populations. Five studies were in the Atlantic, three were in the Pacific and one study was in each of the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and North Pacific and the western North Atlantic, Azores, Gulf of Mexico and Ecuador. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (3 STUDIES) Survival (3 studies): Two studies (including one replicated, controlled, paired study) off the coast of Hawaii and in the north-east Atlantic Ocean found that survival of loggerhead and leatherback turtles and leatherback and hard-shell sea turtles caught by circle hooks or J-hooks was similar. One review of studies in five pelagic longline fisheries found that fewer sea turtles died when circle hooks were used compared to J-hooks in four of five fisheries. Condition (3 studies): Two replicated, controlled studies in the Mediterranean Sea and south-western Atlantic Ocean found that fewer immature loggerhead turtles and loggerhead turtles swallowed circle hooks compared to J-hooks. One before-and-after study off the coast of Hawaii found that a lower percentage of loggerhead and leatherback turtles were deeply hooked by circle hooks compared to J-hooks. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (11 STUDIES) Unwanted catch (11 studies): Seven of 10 studies (including six replicated, controlled studies) in the Pacific, Atlantic, Atlantic and North Pacific and Mediterranean and one review of studies in five pelagic longline fisheries found that circle hooks or circle hooks and tuna hooks caught fewer sea turtles than J-hooks, or that non-offset G-style circle hooks caught fewer leatherback and hard-shell sea turtles that offset J-Hooks. One of these studies also found that circle hooks caught slightly larger loggerhead turtles than J-hooks, and one also found that offset Gt-style circle hooks caught a similar number of leatherback and hard-shell sea turtles compared to offset J-hooks. One study found that circle hooks caught a similar number of leatherback, green and olive ridley turtles compared to J-hooks. One study found that fish-baited circle hooks caught fewer loggerhead and leatherback turtles than squid-baited J-hooks. The review found mixed effects of using circle hooks compared to J-hooks on unwanted catch of sea turtles depending on the fishery. The other study found mixed effects of using circle hooks or J-hooks in combination with squid or fish bait on the number of loggerhead and leatherback turtles that were caught. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3559https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3559Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:21:43 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Introduce an overall catch limit (quota cap or total allowable catch) by fishery or fleet Nine studies examined the effects of introducing overall catch limits by fishery or fleet on marine fish populations. Three studies were worldwide, two studies were in the South Atlantic Ocean (Namibia/South Africa), two studies were in the North Sea (Northern Europe), and one study was in each of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean (Scotland) and the North Atlantic Ocean (Canada).   COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (6 STUDIES) Abundance (5 studies): Four before-and-after studies (two replicated) in the South Atlantic Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea reported that following the introduction of overall catch limits for fish there was a higher abundance or biomass of hakes, Atlantic herring and Atlantic halibut, compared to before. One replicated, controlled study of fish stocks worldwide found that overfished stocks of tunas and billfishes had faster increases of biomass when managed using overall catch limits, compared to stocks with other types of control or no management. Reproductive success (1 study): A global review reported that after overall catch limits and minimum landing size were introduced there was strong recruitment of broadbill swordfish for one key stock, while recruitment for four other stocks could not be assessed due to limited data. Survival (2 studies): One before-and-after study and one replicated, controlled study in the North Atlantic Ocean and worldwide found that for fish species with overall catch limits there was a decrease or lower fishing mortality, compared either to before implementation or to stocks without catch limits and those with other controls. BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES) OTHER (3 STUDIES) Reduction of unwanted catch (1 study): One replicated, before-and-after study in the North Sea and North Atlantic Ocean found that overall catch limits did not reduce unwanted megrim catch despite a reduction in discards, however this was due to retention of more small but legal-sized megrim, previously discarded. Reduction of fishing effort (1 study): One replicated, before-and-after study in the North Sea found that when annual total allowable catch limits were changed (increased or decreased), half of the otter trawl fleet had corresponding changes in fishing effort (increased or decreased), but there were no changes for the beam trawl fleet. Stock status (1 study): One global systematic review found that in terms of reaching biomass-based management targets fisheries with fleet-wide catch quotas were no different to fisheries managed either by catch shares or effort controls. However, along with catch share fisheries, fewer catch quota stocks were over-exploited than those with effort controls. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3811https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F3811Thu, 26 May 2022 15:07:14 +0100
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What Works in Conservation

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