New publication: btcatch effects on marine mammal behaviour and welfare
My co-authors and I would like to share with you our recently published paper considering the behavioural and welfare impacts of peracute underwater entrapment on marine mammals. Dolman S, Barnett J and Wessels M (2026) The impacts of peracute underwater entrapment in fishing nets on marine mammal behaviour and welfare. Front. Ethol. 5:1882616. doi: 10.3389/fetho.2026.1882616 Abstract Fisheries interactions are widely recognised as being the leading anthropogenic cause of marine mammal mortality. One form of fisheries interaction is peracute underwater entrapment (PUE), the process of acute entanglement and forced submersion that occurs following interaction with fishing gear, where an individual is not able to break free or to reach the water’s surface to breathe. PUE results in a number of negative welfare impacts, including asphyxiation, injuries, physiological and psychological stress, social disruption and, ultimately, death impacting on the behaviour of affected individuals and conspecifics. Individually and collectively, the welfare implications of these events are severe and raise significant concerns. This review focuses on PUE and the known and hypothetical events associated with entrapment on the affected individual and on conspecifics including behaviour, the stress response and pathophysiology, the use of necropsy data to help provide a greater understanding of the events surrounding PUE and further research needed to improve our understanding of the welfare implications on individuals and populations. Case studies are provided for grey seal and common dolphin PUE cases in UK waters. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1882616<https://links.email.frontiersin.org/ls/click?upn=u001.qPvnClRwyVsaBj5SNX-2FU6kHNNcT8EktN9V3ZuWDAMVngXyRMuiW0Up-2FncNBAJ-2BXaT1nUjg9sa-2Bw5lJsQJJWVJbGHKdvCf-2BIw2VXC5PfZ6Jc-3DZH-2_d7CEfkoadLhLBotLDjFJV7tNSPd7P6KtEenIuazIM5MSYA5FDETgcGQZxnsiAWknq1Z7uUSb2xgod4rgZhxCwFDEIhs2To-2F-2Fk1YfQslr5ucJ44k8KJU8YxX039Ay-2BatCJeyAO-2B3YbinaVket6jyvdQYIzoWPL-2BZ2nd8azCpVjSgDcaNffuPFx-2B7cO5DeGN2VfIyDobNfffZMiyRcVSuPvoIrCRquMN-2BkOrx8aIyfSW53QkkyOmx29jxIM9LaslOoPTfcQU5kD7UA0hXBidr3Pxt5Mm887eylN7y68hot4nl7B3BaXutR63bj-2Fi77iwr3gDhATyfFTvTWhrCGIq9gTDF5-2B6u-2BAsLqFn6HPKHY-2FUPuUuV1D9m-2Fruw15H4eG83xXQgxiQNQFK4M-2BsrnVhjY4A-3D-3D> Best wishes, James James Barnett Cornwall Marine Pathology Team University of Exeter United Kingdom
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James Barnett