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Fur seals and lobster fishing in South Africa
Author(s) -
WICKENS P. A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0755(199609)6:3<179::aid-aqc184>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - fishery , fishing , fur seal , trap (plumbing) , homarus , geography , biology , crustacean , meteorology
1. Operational interactions between seals and fisheries are considered in the management of the South African (Cape) fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus . This paper presents results from the first independent observations of such interactions in response to reported interference by seals during both trapping and hoopnetting rock‐lobster fishing. 2. It appears that the interactions are infrequent and of no direct consequence to the lobster trap fishery, in which the prime concern is of seals taking undersize lobster that are being returned to the sea. There is a minimal cost to the lobster hoopnet fishery, where seals can damage fishing gear. 3. Observations showed clear evidence of octopus taking lobster from traps, which would seem to be more of a problem than seals, but is not perceived as such by the fishers.