Sea turtle bycatch in Argentina: A qualitative assessment in commercial vessels

Abstract

The Northern Argentine continental shelf is a sea turtle feeding ground thatoverlaps with important fisheries. Few studies assessed bycatch impact, especially oncommercial vessels. This work documents sea turtles´ bycatch, fishery involved,species captured and crew actions. Bycatch in four fisheries were registered at the107 interviews to fishers conducted between 2021 and 2023, showing the urgencyto research bottom trawling for demersal multi-species. Fishers frequently recognizeCaretta caretta, and positive and negative practices towards animals have beendocumented on-board.These results will help focus researches on fisheries withthe greatest impact on sea turtles in the region. They also underscore the necessityfor implementing commercial vessel monitoring programmes and improving on-boardhandling practices.