Bycatch
Achieving changes in the fishing practices within the demanding and traditional artisanal fishing operations is not an easy task. The WWF Peru team works directly with artisanal fishermen, living with them, training them and promoting the adoption of improved fishing practices that reduce bird, dolphin, turtle and other bycatch in situ.
At a global level, marine turtles are one of the most endangered species by bycatch and their populations are rapidly declining. For this reason, WWF Peru works since 2004 in the most important artisanal ports in Peru, such as Pucusana, Paita, Salaverry, Chimbote and Ilo alongside hundreds of fishermen, in order to reduce sea turtle bycatch by replacing common hooks with circle hooks, which drastically reduce bycatch by making it difficult for the turtles to become hooked when trying to take the fish bait.
Aside from substituting these improved hooks, the team of WWF observers trains the fishermen on their use and on the use of the turtle release gear (tool that facilitates the unharmed liberation of hooked turtles) and accompanies them as they work.
By doing this, the observers promote turtle conservation in situ and gather unknown information on fishing practices and sea turtle and other bycatch in Peru.
A present accomplishment is that already some vessels have permanently adopted these improved hooks and hundreds of fishermen have received training on the need to protect sea turtles as well as on how to achieve this goal.
At a global level, marine turtles are one of the most endangered species by bycatch and their populations are rapidly declining. For this reason, WWF Peru works since 2004 in the most important artisanal ports in Peru, such as Pucusana, Paita, Salaverry, Chimbote and Ilo alongside hundreds of fishermen, in order to reduce sea turtle bycatch by replacing common hooks with circle hooks, which drastically reduce bycatch by making it difficult for the turtles to become hooked when trying to take the fish bait.
Aside from substituting these improved hooks, the team of WWF observers trains the fishermen on their use and on the use of the turtle release gear (tool that facilitates the unharmed liberation of hooked turtles) and accompanies them as they work.
By doing this, the observers promote turtle conservation in situ and gather unknown information on fishing practices and sea turtle and other bycatch in Peru.
A present accomplishment is that already some vessels have permanently adopted these improved hooks and hundreds of fishermen have received training on the need to protect sea turtles as well as on how to achieve this goal.
Turtles.
