Interaction between bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and trammel nets in the Archipelago de La Maddalena, Italy

Interactions between bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and fisheries are an increasing problem in the Mediterranean and effective management measures are needed. In order to assess the impact of dolphin interactions on artisanal trammel nets, we examine 354 fishing operations performed in waters of the Archipelago de La Maddalena (Italy). We evaluate whether interactions were related to the species composition of the catch and, using the local commercial value of the target species, we assess whether there was a real economic loss for fishermen. Bayesian models and partial correspondence analysis were used to determine the extent to which dolphin interactions and habitat differences contributed to variation in the species composition of catches. CPUE for fishing operations with no dolphin interactions was significantly higher than that for operations with dolphin interactions, although clearly this does not confirm a direct causal link, and associated economic loss was estimated to be non-significant. Geographic location, season, depth of seabed, moon phase, and mesh size were all important factors affecting the amount and species composition of the catch. Our results suggest that it is likely that these differences in species composition are due to a mixture of habitat and dolphin-induced effects.