FISHERIES BYCATCH - IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

A broad-based public consensus has emerged that bycatch should be mini mized to levels approaching insignificance. This view as reflected in U.S. and worldwide legislation and agreements, demonstrates the widely held belief that discarded portions of fishery catches (including eco nomic resources, protected species, and unobserved mortalities of anim als not caught) represent an unacceptable waste of natural resources. Bycatches in their various forms can have significant consequences for populations, food webs, and ecosystems. The economic effects of bycat ches can influence not only the levels of yields to individual fisheri es, but also may have major effects on allocations among competing fis heries. The lack of comprehensive monitoring programs in most areas to assess bycatches and integrate them into population and multispecies models seriously impedes a full understanding of bycatch consequences and the efficacy of measures for their amelioration. Nevertheless, whe re evidence for significant bycatches exists, a risk-averse and perhap s adaptive management philosophy is clearly warranted. Establishing th e benefits and costs associated with bycatch management is a priority as managers attempt to define the practicality of bycatches approachin g zero given the institutional, scientific, and industry resources nec essary to accomplish the job.