Dear Colleagues, 

We would like to inform you of a new publication now available at Journal of the marine biological association of the United Kingdom

P. Reyes; R. Hucke-Gaete & J.P. Torres-Florez. First observation of operational interactions between bottom-trawling fisheries and South American sea lion, Otaria flavescens in south-central Chile.
Abstract This paper presents results of a study conducted on the trawling industrial fishery fleet of Merluccius gayi in south-central Chile, and the resulting interactions with the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens). This study is based on observations made during September 2004, when incidental sea lion catch in the trawls was 6.3 sea lions/working day (1.2 sea lions/trawl−1). A total of 82 animals were incidentally caught, of which 12 were found dead, and the 70 remaining suffered from internal bleeding and/or fractures as a result of their capture. 83.3% of the fatalities occurred during nocturnal trawls, which comprise 30% of all observed trawls. Possible mechanisms of sea lion take are discussed. This note presents the first records of sea lions incidental by-catch by the trawler fleet along the south-east Pacific coast of Chile.
 
A PDF file is available at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8697508&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0025315412001282
Or by emailing me at: jptorresflorez@uach.cl

Best regards, 
 

Juan Pablo Torres Florez, Dr.
Postdoctoral researcher 
Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas
Universidad Austral de Chile
Casilla 567 - Valdivia, CHILE
Phone: +56 9 78769167
http://www.ballenazul.org
http://www.ecolevol.cl
Pd. En este mensaje las tildes han sido omitidas con el fin de evitar problemas de recepcion y lectura