engleski

Assessment of predator (dolphins) damage along the eastern Adriatic coast

Interactions between dolphins and fishery have been reported for more than a century. However, this topic permanently attracts world attention due its influence on a survival of the wild dolphins and life of fisherman through economic consequences, especially in coastal fisheries. The dolphin conflicts along the eastern Adriatic coast have been usually reported by the fisherman working with gillnets and trammel nets although damages exist also at bottom trawling and purse seine fisheries. The greatest damage recorded at passive gears is expected because fisherman lay them in sea overnight which leaves plenty of times for dolphins to locate nets and prey over the catch. The investigation was done in cooperation with local fisherman. They recorded daily damages, both on gears and catches, in specific log books. The total damage, consisting of direct and indirect ones, is assessed. Direct damage includes those determined on fishing gears and catch, while indirect damage refers on ability of achieving potentially increased catch or a greater number of fishing days at sea in case of reduced activity of dolphins. However, fisherman consciously shorten the number of fishing days in the period when they have few days continually high damage, although the weather conditions allow work at sea. Thus, the indirect damage is estimated to be 15%-20% of the total catch depending on the fishing gear. Direct damage is different within different fishing gears so in gillnets and trammel nets estimated damage was 15% to 55% of reported catch and varies depending on the number of fishing days while in bottom trawling and purse seine fishing, we estimated lower direct damage on catch and gears because the dolphins chase away fish and do not damage the fishing gear. By that the direct damage is estimated to be 3% of reported catch.

Assessment ; predator ; dolphins ; damage ; Adriatic coast

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