July 18, 2011 Small-scale fisheries could pose a more serious
threat to marine life than previously thought. Research led by
the University of Exeter, published in the British Ecological
Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, shows that tens of
thousands of turtles from across the Pacific are being captured
through the activities of small-scale fisheries. Focusing on
fisheries in Peru, the study suggests that thousands of sea
turtles originating from nesting beaches as far away as
Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Galapagos, are likely to
be captured each year as bycatch while they forage in Peru's
waters. 'Bycatch' is the term used to describe fish or other sea
animals being caught unintentionally by fisheries and is usually
associated with large-scale industrial fishing, such as trawling
and longlining. This study shows the effect of small-scale nets
and longlines on marine turtle bycatch. Some are kept for
consumption and while the majority are released alive, they are
often injured as a result of becom