Assessment of seal by-catches…

© 2017. Ilya Ermolin (1,2), Linas Svolkinas (1,3).

(1) Center for Environmental Crime Studies, Borups Allé 235 B, 3. tv. 2400, Copenhagen NV 2400, Denmark; (2) School of Sociology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 11 Myasnitskaya Ulitsa, Moscow 101000, the Russian Federation; (3) School of Earth and Environment, the University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.


Assessment of the sturgeon catches and seal by-catches in IUU fishery in the Caspian Sea

The paper presents a quantitative assessment of sturgeon catches and related Caspian seals’ by-catches of the illegal sturgeon fishery in the Republic of Dagestan and the Volga River Delta in Russia. The study uses semi structured interviews, direct observations and informal conversations to collect data and estimates that about 10,491 kg of sturgeons were caught with 788 seals of by-catch during 35 trips conducted by 15 boats in the period of 2013–2016. The results show that both IUU sturgeon catch and the rate of seals by-catch have not demonstrated significant change since 2013. However, the rates of seals by-catch have increased since the studies in 2008-2009 and may be recognized as one of the biggest entanglements of pinnipeds as by-catch…

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Photo: Evgeny Poonsky

 

 

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