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| Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program |
| Established | 1996 |
| Type | Research and development |
| Region | United States |
| Parent organization | National Marine Fisheries Service |
Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program supports technological innovation to reduce unintended capture of non-target species in commercial and recreational fisheries. It funds and coordinates applied research, gear modification tests, and field trials to mitigate bycatch impacts on marine mammals, seabirds, turtles, and finfish while maintaining harvest opportunities for fishing communities. The program links scientific institutions, federal agencies, regional management bodies, and stakeholder organizations to translate engineering solutions into regulatory practice.
The program conducts applied engineering research with emphasis on fishing gear, electronic monitoring, and observer systems to address bycatch across fisheries managed by agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and regional entities like the Pacific Fishery Management Council and North Pacific Fishery Management Council. It partners with universities including University of Washington, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography and with non-governmental organizations such as the The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Ocean Conservancy. Stakeholders include industry groups like the National Fisheries Institute and state agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Origins trace to increased attention to bycatch impacts under legislation and agreements, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and international frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Early pilots drew from methods tested in programs associated with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and fieldwork linked to projects led by researchers at NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. Technological milestones involved collaborations with institutions such as Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and innovations that paralleled developments in the NOAA Observer Program.
Primary objectives include reduction of bycatch mortality, optimization of gear selectivity, improvement of species identification, and enhancement of post-release survival. The scope covers commercial fisheries (e.g., trawl, longline, gillnet, purse seine) and recreational sectors across regions governed by councils like the New England Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Conservation targets have included species listed under the Endangered Species Act such as certain populations of sea turtles and marine mammals protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The program informs management measures used by bodies including the International Pacific Halibut Commission and regional fisheries organizations.
Approaches combine mechanical modifications, acoustic deterrents, visual devices, and electronic systems. Examples include turtle excluder devices developed with input from Shrimp Industry stakeholders and tested alongside studies conducted by Southeast Fisheries Science Center teams; excluder grids for bycatch reduction adapted by researchers at Alaska Fisheries Science Center; acoustic pingers trialed in collaborations involving NOAA Fisheries and the Marine Mammal Commission; and hooks and bait innovations evaluated in longline fisheries with involvement from institutions like Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Electronic monitoring systems incorporate hardware from companies engaged with NOAA contracts and research into machine learning by groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University for automated species recognition. Gear-selectivity experiments have been published in peer work affiliated with journals and societies such as the American Fisheries Society.
Implementation relies on partnerships among federal agencies, state laboratories, academic groups, industry associations, and international agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization for cross-border fisheries. Cooperative research programs involve the Alaska Sea Grant and regional cooperative entities including the New England Aquarium and the Mote Marine Laboratory. Training, outreach, and demonstration projects have engaged unions and cooperatives such as the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and community-led initiatives in ports coordinated with regional development councils. Technology transfer pathways use extension networks associated with Sea Grant programs and procurement through federal funding mechanisms.
Monitoring integrates observer programs, electronic monitoring, acoustic telemetry, and tagging studies developed with collaborators such as the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project and telemetry networks run by institutions like Oregon State University. Evaluation metrics include reductions in bycatch rates, changes in post-release survival documented by partners at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and socio-economic assessments conducted with economists associated with NOAA National Ocean Service units. Reported outcomes have included measurable declines in specific bycatch categories, adoption of modified gears into fishery management plans by councils such as the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and influence on international best-practice guidelines by organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Policy integration has involved rulemaking under authorities of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and regulatory adjustments by regional fishery management councils. Funding mechanisms have included federal appropriations administered by NOAA, competitive grants through programs affiliated with the National Science Foundation and cooperative agreements with state agencies. Legal and regulatory considerations intersect with protections under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, shaping compliance requirements and incentives for industry uptake. Continued support depends on congressional appropriations and strategic priorities set within agencies such as NOAA and the Department of Commerce.
Category:Fisheries Category:Conservation programs Category:Marine biology