Mitigating bycatch of freshwater turtles in passively fished fyke nets through the use of exclusion and escape modifications

Location
Lake Opinicon, Canada
Article
Mitigating bycatch of freshwater turtles in passively fished fyke nets through the use of exclusion and escape modifications
Target catch
Lepomis macrochirus, Lepomis gibbosus, Pomoxis nigromaculatus, Ambloplites rupestris, Ameiurus spp.
Study Type
Field study in the wild
Effect on target catch
88% of catch retained using the escape chimney; 77% of fish able to escape holes in net.
Effect on bycatch species
All turtles were able to escape through the escape chimney, 60% of turtles were able to escape using holes in the trap net
Bycatch species
Mammals
Other
Ondatra zibethicus (Common muskrat)
Freshwater Turtles
Chrysemys picta (Painted turtle)
Graptemys geographica (Northern map turtle)
Sternotherus odoratus (Common musk turtle)
Fishing Gear
Traps
Reduction technique
Excluder devices
Trap-net modification