NOAA Seeks Information from Commercial Harvesters on Marine Mammal Deterrents
NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has released a survey to gather knowledge and perceptions about the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents currently employed by commercial, recreational and tribal fishermen; aquaculture farmers; and marina and coastal property owners and managers.
Developed in response to a request from NOAA Fisheries, the data collected is expected to be used to create an index to identify the relative effectiveness of different allowable deterrents used by various user groups nationwide to reduce the risk of expected losses from damage by marine mammals on various user groups nationwide.
The survey’s stated goal is to help NOAA Fisheries identify and prioritize marine mammal deterrents that should be tested for their effectiveness to safely deter marine mammals and protect fishing gear/catch and property.
“If you are an aquaculture farmer; commercial, recreational or tribal fishermen; or a coastal property owner or manager, please take a few minutes and complete the survey,” NOAA Fisheries said in a statement.
The deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 22. The 32-page survey can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/mud7wtfv. For more information, contact NOAA’s Katie Zanowicz at [email protected].
