Dear colleagues,
We are glad to inform you that following article was recently accepted for publication:

Small cetacean bycatch as estimated from stranding schemes: The common dolphin case in the northeast Atlantic
Hélène Peltier , Matthieu Authier, Rob Deaville, Willy Dabin, Paul D. Jepson, Olivier van Canneyt, Pierre Daniel, Vincent Ridoux



The article can be download until early July:

http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1T3zz5Ce0rOF3A

Highlights
•Strong interactions between common dolphins and fisheries in southern Bay of Biscay.
•Levels of bycatch inferred from strandings between 3650 and 4700 dolphins year−1.
•Levels of bycatch inferred from observer programmes around 550 animals year−1.
•Diverging estimates can set very different management consequences.Highlights

Abstract
Death in
fishing gear of non-target species (called ‘bycatch’) is a major concern for marine wildlife, and
mostly worrying for long-lived species like cetaceans, considering their demographic characteristics
(slow population growth rates and low fecundity). In European waters, cetaceans are highly impacted by
this phenomenon. Under the Common Fishery Policy, the EC 812/2004 regulation constitutes a legal
frame for bycatch monitoring on 5–10% of
fishing vessels >15 m. The aim of this work was to compare
parameters and bycatch estimates of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) provided by observer
programmes in France and UK national reports and those inferred from stranding data, through two
approaches. Bycatch was estimated from stranding data,
first by correcting effectives from drift
conditions (using a drift prediction model) and then by estimating the probability of being buoyant.
Observer programmes on
fishing vessels allowed us to identify the specificity of the interaction between
common dolphins and
fishing gear, and provided low estimates of annual bycaught animals (around
550 animals year
1). However, observer programmes are hindered by logistical and administrative
constraints, and the sampling scheme seems to be poorly designed for the detection of marine mammal
bycatches. The analyses of strandings by considering drift conditions highlighted areas with high levels of
interactions between common dolphins and
fisheries. Since 1997, the highest densities of bycaught
dolphins at sea were located in the southern part of the continental shelf and slope of the Bay of Biscay.
Bycatch numbers inferred from strandings suggested very high levels, ranging from 3650 dolphins year
1
[2250–7000] to 4700 [3850–5750] dolphins year
1, depending on methodological choices. The main
advantage of stranding data is its large spatial scale, cutting across administrative boundaries. Diverging
estimates between observer programmes and stranding interpretation can set very different
management consequences: observer programmes suggest a sustainable situation for common
dolphins, whereas estimates based on strandings highlight a very worrying and unsustainable process.

Best wishes
Helene Peltier