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:  Incidental catches in pelagic longline fishing pose a serious threat to sea turtle populations throughout the world's seas and oceans. In this work, carried out in the framework of the EC‐DG‐Fisheries 98/008 project, information on sea turtle catch rates from swordfish and albacore longline fishing activities observed in Italian waters off the Ionian Sea during 1999 and 2000, are reported. In addition, biometric data, health status, and tagging return rate of sea turtles captured are provided. A total of 200 sea turtles were caught (198 loggerhead turtles and 2 green turtles), comprising 0.5–15.7% of the total catch in number of individuals. The estimates of the sea turtles caught by the total fishing effort of both longlines in the whole study area were 1084 specimens in 1999 (95% CI = 667–1502) and 4447 specimens in 2000 (95% CI = 3189–5705). Although all sea turtles were released alive, nearly half of them had hooks that could not be removed and remained deeply embedded in the digestive tract.

:  Three experiments were done to test for the influences of different (i) hanging ratios (E = 0.5, 0.65 and 0.8); (ii) fishing heights (25 and 12 meshes); and (iii) twine diameters (0.41, 0.56 and 0.62 mm) and materials (multifilament nylon and multimonofilament nylon polyamide) on catches and by‐catches in the estuarine gillnet fishery for Platycephalus fuscus in New South Wales, Australia. In each experiment, the various 100‐m treatment panels comprising 80‐mm (nominal) mesh rigged according to the different configurations being examined were configured in a single gang between 1090 and 1310 m in length, and fished according to commercial practices. The results showed no significant differences between different hanging ratios or twine diameters for the numbers, weights and size compositions of catches and by‐catches. Twine material had an effect on only one key by‐catch species (Acanthopagrus australis), with fewer caught in panels made from multifilament nylon compared with multimonofilament nylon. In contrast to the above modifications, lowering the fishing height of the floatline significantly reduced total by‐catch by up to 46% and the individuals of key by‐catch species (Mugil cephalus, A. australis and Girella tricuspidata) by between 60 and 85% with no effect on catches of targeted P. fuscus, or legally retained byproduct, Portunus pelagicus. The results are used to provide directions for the future management of this fishery and have relevance to other similar bottom‐set gillnet fisheries.

Harvesting natural populations is practiced for many animal and plant species and frequently constitutes a part of the management of those populations. Similarly, enhancement through the release of captively bred animals and cultivated plants is an increasingly common practice in the management and protection of biological resources. Both harvest and enhancement may, however, constitute potential threats to biodiversity at the gene level. Many of these perils are not recognized today, and strategies for carrying out these activities in a genetically sustainable manner are largely lacking. The potentially negative effects on intraspecific biodiversity caused by harvest and enhancement are particularly serious when managing economically important species since those programs are typically carried out on a very large scale. Contrary to the potential perils associated with high technology DNA engineering and the release, or escape, of transgenic organisms, these genetic manipulations presently attract very little attention.

\"Optimal\" bycatch rules and quota share price estimates are derived from a multispecies production technology model of the factory trawler fleet targeting on midwater pollock in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands region of the North Pacific Ocean. Data routinely collected by federal and state fisheries officials on catch and revenue by species, week, and operation are used to identify the aggregate restricted quasi-rent function for the fishery by estimating the associated system of inverse demands for species quotas. The model is estimated using data for the 1991 and 1992 seasons, and separability and nonjointness of the technology are tested for and rejected.

This document contains the report of the Report of the Workshop on Bycatch Management and Low Impact Fishing held in Kuwait City, Kuwait over 9-12 December 2012. The workshop was convened to to develop a road map on how bycatch can be more effectively managed and how to reduce impacts of fishing on the environment. The meeting reviewed the current knowledge on bycatch in the RECOFI / GCC region and considered priority follow up action. The Workshop adopted a draft concept document in the form of a Regional Action Plan for managing the environmental impacts of fishing in the RECOFI region. The Workshop was hosted by the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fisheries Resources of the State of Kuwait

This document contains the report of the Technical Consultation to Develop International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards held in Rome, Italy, 6-10 December 2010. The Consultation was convened by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations upon the recommendation of the Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries. The Technical Consultation finalized the draft text on International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards on 10 December 2010. The Consultation was funded by the Government of Norway and the FAO Regular Programme.