Hello, If you are active or interested in fisheries bycatch mitigation you will probably appreciate knowing about the Bycatch Reduction Techniques Database. Maintained by the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction based at the New England Aquarium, the database resides at www.bycatch.org and is a searchable collection of references and summaries of over 150 bycatch reduction studies. The database was set up as a clearinghouse of information on bycatch reduction research, focusing in particular on endangered species such as marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, sharks, and other groups. Users can search for bycatch reduction techniques by species of interest, fishing gear, or mitigation technique, view summaries about the effectiveness of methods for reducing bycatch and maintaining target catches, or consult the glossary of bycatch reduction techniques. In order to keep the database as up-to-date as possible, we designed the website so that registered users can upload references using templates that make the process quick and easy. Many find the database very useful to their research or management applications, which is greatly enhanced to the degree that the database captures, as comprehensively as possible, the full body of bycatch reduction research studies. If you find that your bycatch papers are not yet part of this database or you know of other studies that should be added, we invite you to go to the website, register, and then add them. By contributing to the database, you help maintain a resource that is useful for your own research interest, and help ensure that scientists, fishermen, and fisheries managers all over the world have access to the most up-to-date research on bycatch reduction techniques. If you have questions or comments, please contact bycatch@neaq.org. We welcome your contributions, and feedback on the database or the website (www.bycatch.org). Thank you for your interest, Kate McClellan Assistant Scientist Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction John H. Prescott Marine Laboratory New England Aquarium Central Wharf, Boston MA 02110 617.226.2217 www.bycatch.org twitter: bycatchorg
