Summary
This study evaluated the effectiveness of two seal excluder devices, the Danish Pelagic Producers Organization (DPPO)'s excluder tube and the Pelagic Freezer Trawler Association (PFA)'s excluder gird in reducing seal capture in sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) and herring (Clupea harengus) fisheries. Voluntary, operational-level industry self-reporting on the excluder devices found a 85% reduction of seal capture in the sandeel fishery and an 89% reduction in the herring fishery (with some uncertainty around the estimates, particularly in the herring fishery).