Report of the Second Workshop on The Biology and Conservation of ...

4. THE PROBLEM OF BY-CATCH IN FISHERIES4.1 Regional ReviewResearch in SE Asia since <strong>the</strong> 1995 workshophave revealed that <strong>the</strong> by-catch <strong>of</strong> cetaceansand dugongs in fisheries is even greater thanpreviously supposed, and <strong>the</strong>re is no indicationthat this problem has been addressed in ameaningful or satisfactory way anywhere in <strong>the</strong>region. Illegal and unregulated fishing by distantwatercommercial fleets is a major problem forSE Asian countries. In particular, encroachmentby Taiwanese vessels in <strong>of</strong>fshore EEZ waters<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Philippines was repeatedly noted byworkshop participants. Exclusion <strong>of</strong> such vesselsfrom one country’s territorial waters all too <strong>of</strong>tensimply displaces <strong>the</strong> problem. An example is <strong>the</strong>Taiwanese tuna driftnet fishery in <strong>the</strong> ArafuraSea. Australia banned this fishery within itsEEZ after large by-catches <strong>of</strong> dolphins had beendocumented (Harwood et al. 1984). Ra<strong>the</strong>r thanending its operations, however, this Taiwanesefishery simply relocated to international watersand is now believed to be operating in Indonesianwaters with little or no monitoring or regulation.This example demonstrates <strong>the</strong> need for a regionalapproach to by-catch reduction/mitigation.It was also noted that in some instances, incentiveprograms by government agencies have beenresponsible for over-capitalization <strong>of</strong> fishing fleets,or increasing <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> fishing with gillnetsand o<strong>the</strong>r unselective gear. There is a need to enddirected government programs and policies thateffectively, albeit inadvertently, increase marinemammal by-catch.A factor to consider in present and futureassessments is that low by-catch rates in manyareas reflect <strong>the</strong> fact that cetacean and dugongpopulations have already been severely reduced bydirect and incidental removals. Vietnam providesone particularly stark example. There, observeddensities <strong>of</strong> marine mammals in coastal watersare very low, fishing intensity is extremely high,and skulls in whale temples bespeak a formerlydiverse and abundant local marine mammal fauna(Smith et al. 1997; Doc. 3, 14).4.2 Useful Approaches and Prioritiesfor Research4.2.1 Small cetaceansOnly a few existing cetacean by-catch reduction/mitigation efforts in SE Asia were identified:WWF-Philippines, in collaboration with localgovernment, has initiated a project to developmodifications to crab-fishing gear and/or practicesin Malampaya Sound, with <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> reducing<strong>the</strong> by-catch <strong>of</strong> Irrawaddy dolphins, especially inmatang quatro nets.Declaration <strong>of</strong> marine reserves and o<strong>the</strong>r types<strong>of</strong> marine protected areas in Brunei and Malaysiais justified, at least in part, as a way <strong>of</strong> reducingdugong and cetacean by-catch, although protection<strong>of</strong> coral reefs and seagrass beds is likely <strong>the</strong>primary impetus for such initiatives.The participants were asked to identify and rank what<strong>the</strong>y considered to be useful generic approachesto small cetacean by-catch mitigation. A total<strong>of</strong> 18 strategies were identified, <strong>of</strong> which sevenwere considered important by more than one ortwo individuals. These seven, in descending rankorder, were:1) Targeted community education and awarenessprograms.2) Improved enforcement initiatives.<strong>Second</strong> <strong>Workshop</strong> on <strong>the</strong> Biology and Conservation <strong>of</strong> Small Cetaceans and Dugongs <strong>of</strong> SE Asia 87