Fisheries Bycatch as an Inadvertent Human-Induced Evolutionary Mechanism

Barbraud, Christophe; Tuck, Geoffrey N.; Thomson, Robin B.; Delord, Karine; Weimerskirch, Henri

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060353

Cited by 34 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Concerning heavy metals, these findings corroborate previous studies that did not evidence an effect of Hg and Cd on adult mortality in birds [8 -10]. However, our study did not exclude the possibility that contaminants could jeopardize the survival rate of immature wandering albatrosses, as they have a higher pollution burden [16] and a lower survival rate [31] than sexually mature adults.…”

Section: (B) Survival and Contaminantssupporting

confidence: 91%

Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross

et al. 2014

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Seabirds are top predators of the marine environment that accumulate contaminants over a long life-span. Chronic exposure to pollutants is thought to compromise survival rate and long-term reproductive outputs in these long-lived organisms, thus inducing population decline. However, the demographic consequences of contaminant exposure are largely theoretical because of the dearth of long-term datasets. This study aims to test whether adult survival rate, return to the colony and long-term breeding performance were related to blood mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), by using a capture-mark-recapture dataset on the vulnerable wandering albatross Diomedea exulans. We did not find evidence for any effect of contaminants on adult survival probability. However, blood Hg and POPs negatively impacted long-term breeding probability, hatching and fledging probabilities. The proximate mechanisms underlying these deleterious effects are likely multifaceted, through physiological perturbations and interactions with reproductive costs. Using matrix population models, we projected a demographic decline in response to an increase in Hg or POPs concentrations. This decline in population growth rate could be exacerbated by other anthropogenic perturbations, such as climate change, disease and fishery bycatch. This study gives a new dimension to the overall picture of environmental threats to wildlife populations.

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Section: (B) Survival and Contaminantssupporting

confidence: 91%

Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross

et al. 2014

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“…In this context, body mass, experience, and bird personality could be important factors underlying individual heterogeneity (Barbraud et al 2013).…”

Section: Different Responses To Extreme Events Among Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme climate events and individual heterogeneity shape life‐history traits and population dynamics

Jenouvrier

Péron

Weimerskirch

2015

Ecological Monographs

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126

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Abstract. Extreme climatic conditions and their ecological impacts are currently emerging as critical features of climate change. We studied extreme sea ice condition (ESIC) and found it impacts both life-history traits and population dynamics of an Antarctic seabird well beyond ordinary variability.The Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides) is an ice-dependent seabird, and individuals forage near the ice edge. During an extreme unfavorable year (when sea ice area is reduced and distance between ice edge and colony is high), observed foraging trips were greater in distance and duration. As a result, adults brought less food to their chicks, which fledged in the poorest body condition. During such unfavorable years, breeding success was extremely low and population growth rate (k) was greatly reduced. The opposite pattern occurred during extreme favorable years.Previous breeding status had a strong influence on life-history traits and population dynamics, and their responses to extreme conditions. Successful breeders had a higher chance of breeding and raising their chick successfully during the following breeding season as compared to other breeding stages, regardless of environmental conditions. Consequently, they coped better with unfavorable ESIC. The effect of change in successful breeder vital rates on k was greater than for other stages' vital rates, except for pre-breeder recruitment probabilities, which most affected k.For environments characterized by ordinary sea ice conditions, interindividual differences were more likely to persist over the life of individuals and randomness in individual pathways was low, suggesting individual heterogeneity in vital rates arising from innate or acquired phenotypic traits. Additionally, unfavorable ESIC tended to exacerbate individual differences in intrinsic quality, expressed through differences in reproductive status.We discuss the strong effects of ESIC on Southern Fulmar life-history traits in an evolutionary context. ESICs strongly affect fitness components and act as potentially important agents of natural selection of life histories related to intrinsic quality and intermittent breeding. In addition, recruitment is a highly plastic trait that, if heritable, could have a critical role in evolution of life histories. Finally, we find that changes in the frequency of extreme events may strongly impact persistence of Southern Fulmar populations.

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“…Secondly, some bias may occur if the sample of individuals dying in fishing gears is not random but biased, that is birds having higher or lower survival rate than the average (Barbraud, Tuck, Thomson, Delord, & Weimerskirch, 2013). Secondly, some bias may occur if the sample of individuals dying in fishing gears is not random but biased, that is birds having higher or lower survival rate than the average (Barbraud, Tuck, Thomson, Delord, & Weimerskirch, 2013).…”

Section: Demographic Features Of Seabird Bycatch Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Varying demographic impacts of different fisheries on three Mediterranean seabird species

Genovart

Doak

Igual

et al. 2017

Global Change Biology

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Fisheries have an enormous economic importance, but reconciling their socio-economic features with the conservation and sustainability of marine ecosystems presents major challenges. Bycatch mortality from fisheries is clearly among the most serious global threats for marine ecosystems, affecting a wide range of top predators. Recent estimates report ca. 200,000 seabirds killed annually by bycatch in European waters. However, there is an urgent need to rigorously estimate actual mortality rates and quantify effects of bycatch on populations. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most impacted regions. Here, we estimate for the first time both bycatch mortality rates and their population-level effects on three endemic and vulnerable Mediterranean taxa: Scopoli's shearwater, Mediterranean shag, and Audouin's gull, that die in different types of fishing gears: longlines, gillnets and sport trolling, respectively. We use multi-event capture-recapture modelling to estimate crucial demographic parameters, including the probabilities of dying in different fishing gears. We then build stochastic demography models to forecast the viability of the populations under different management scenarios. Longline bycatch was particularly severe for adults of Scopoli's shearwaters and Audouin's gulls (ca. 28% and 23% of total mortality, respectively) and also for immature gulls (ca. 90% of mortality). Gillnets had a lower impact, but were still responsible for ca. 9% of juvenile mortality on shags, whereas sport trolling only slightly influenced total mortality in gulls. Bycatch mortality has high population-level impacts in all three species, with shearwaters having the highest extinction risk under current mortality rates. Different life-history traits and compensatory demographic mechanisms between the three species are probably influencing the different bycatch impact: for shearwaters, urgent conservation actions are required to ensure the viability of their populations. Results will be very useful for guiding future seabird conservation policies and moving towards an ecosystem-based approach to sustainable fisheries management.

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Fisheries Bycatch as an Inadvertent Human-Induced Evolutionary Mechanism

Cited by 34 publications

References 51 publications

Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross

Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross

Extreme climate events and individual heterogeneity shape life‐history traits and population dynamics

Varying demographic impacts of different fisheries on three Mediterranean seabird species

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