Summary
This study investigated spatiotemporal patterns in harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) bycatch rates in the Swedish gillnet fishery, including a first assessment of harbor porpoise bycatch along the Swedish south coast. Bycatch rates were higher along the southern than the western coast. Further, porpoise bycatch in the south likely is from the endangered Belt Sea subpopulation, rather than the critically endangered Baltic Sea subpopulation. The estimates also indicate a declining trend in the number of bycaught individuals, likely reflecting reduced gillnet fishing effort over time.