A Review of Aquaculture Gear Characteristics and Impacts on Entanglement Risk for Protected Species

Abstract

Entanglement in fishing gear is the cause of death for hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles every year. There are relatively few documented cases of protected species entanglement in aquaculture gear, but events are likely underreported. Interactions with aquaculture are expected to increase in the United States as demand for seafood drives industry growth, new technologies enable farming further offshore, and clarified regulatory processes reduce barriers to entry. Despite this, little attention has been paid to how characteristics of aquaculture gear impact entanglement risk. This research a) catalogs the gear elements thought to influence detection, contact, entanglement, entanglement sustainment, and/or injury severity, and b) summarizes the state of knowledge on how each identified characteristic influences entanglement risk. I find that many of the characteristics are correlated and/or interact in their influence on entanglement. By highlighting relevant gear elements, this review supports future research into system-specific strategies for mitigating entanglement risk.