Incidental catches of dolphins in mid-water trawls for Argentine anchovy (Engraulis anchoita) off the Argentine shelf

CRESPO, ENRIQUE ALBERTO; KOEN ALONSO, MARIANO; DANS, SILVANA LAURA; GARCÍA, NÉSTOR ANÍBAL; PEDRAZA, SUSANA NOEMÍ; COSCARELLA, MARIANO ALBERTO; GONZÁLES, RAÚL

THE JOURNAL OF CETACEAN RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT

International Whaling Commission

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2000 vol. 2 p. 11 - 16

1561-0713

Information on the incidental mortality of dusky and common dolphins in the mid-water trawl fisheries along the Argentine shelf was obtained for the 1990s. The Argentine anchovy is believed to be an under-exploited resource and is usually taken in purse seine fisheries. However, on the few occasions when it was the target species of large mid-water trawlers, anchovy-eating dolphins were incidentally caught. A few incidents accounted for relative high numbers of dolphins but in most of the cases the information obtained was insufficient for a detailed analysis. For three cases, however, sufficient information was obtained to estimate mortality rates. Nevertheless, interpretation of this rates is difficult for a number of reasons. FV Mar Salvaje caught around 60 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in only a few days and in one tow 20 dolphins were caught. Biological information on 18 common dolphins (12 males and 6 females) was obtained and ages ranged from 5-10 for females and 2-18 for males.