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Dolphins were first formally considered as a 'pest' species in the Mediterranean Sea in the late 19th century as they frequently disrupted fishing activities. Numerous fishing organisations/syndicates requested permission to hunt dolphins and the killing of dolphins was allowed by a number of national laws. This paper provides an overview of the hunting of dolphins in Italy across 14 Italian Maritime Compartments, mainly from 1927-1937. It summarises governmental measures implemented, numbers of individuals killed and their monetary value in accordance with the bounty system; official records reveal over 7,200 dolphins (species not specified) killed during the 11-year period and approximately 400,000 Italian Liras (... 355,000 EUR in today's money) was paid out. In addition to the bounty, the meat was either consumed or sold, making dolphin hunting a profitable activity. The lack of information on species identity and the size of dolphin populations around the Italian coast at that time make it difficult to estimate the population level impact of 'bounty fishing', but it is possible that it had a significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife hunting for commercial products has been responsible for decline of many large vertebrates around the globe. An Amazonian example of this worldwide trend is the use of caiman and dolphins as bait for the piracatinga catfish fishery. While it is a controversial issue in Amazonia conservation, there is no data on key biological aspects, such as age and sex, of those animals illegally hunted for bait. This lack of data complicates understanding of the true impact of bait-hunting on the targeted species. In this study, we present results of one year of participatory monitoring of bait-hunting in 12 communities in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve (MSDR), Brazilian Amazonia, during which participants recorded aspects of hunting activity and biometric data of animals used as piracatinga bait. The piracatinga fishery at MSDR has distinct spatial and seasonal patterns, being concentrated close to distribution centers and intensifying during the dry season. Adult male black caiman is the main bait used by fishermen, but viscera of commercial fish provide a potential alternative bait source for the piracatinga fishery. All recorded bait hunting was for caiman, none for dolphins. Despite the predominant use of caiman as bait, MSDR caiman populations remain the largest within the species' distribution. We suggest that informal management of caiman conducted by MSDR residents has guaranteed regional sustainability of the piracatinga fishery. In a broader context, the current study highlights the potential for participatory research with local populations in formulating well-informed decisions for the conservation of natural resources and economic alternatives focused on the conservation of human-natural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of interviews with Canadian redfish Sebastes spp. fishing industry participants active in the 1980s and 1990s was conducted to determine how fish were caught, how much was caught (reported landings, unreported landings, and discards), and the sizes of fish caught during that time. Indicators of total fish catch derived from these interviews showed that reported catch may have underestimated catch by a factor of 2 or more. The proportion of small fish landed may also have been underestimated by a factor of 150–200. The re‐examination of catches from interviews with fishermen can provide a useful context for interpreting population model abundance estimates for this stock. This interpretation can have implications for present‐day stock assessment and fishery advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trouser trawl was used to determine the size selectivity of three sizes of mesh opening (114, 140 and 165 mm double 5 mm twine diamond) on a commercial fishing vessel fishing off Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA. Fifty-six tows were completed in March and April 2013, catching over 42,000 kg of Acadian redfish ( Sebastes fasciatus ) and about 6000 kg of other species. Robust models for the mean L 50s and selection ranges, and confidence intervals, were developed for all three tested codends, incorporating both within and between haul variability. L 50 and selection ranges were determined for the nominal 114 mm ( L 50:22.3 cm; SR:3.3 cm), 139 mm ( L 50:29.2 cm; SR:4.4 cm), and 165 mm ( L 50:33.6 cm; SR:5.0 cm) codends. All measures of model validity were positive. These models are fully adequate to provide guidance to managers and fishermen on size retention of redfish and appropriate codend mesh size. Additionally, simulation of fishing of the three tested codends on the observed population indicated that substantial escape of redfish through codend meshes occurs (51–96%), suggesting that investigation of escape of redfish is warranted to support a sustainable fishery. The observed population also indicates that inadequate numbers of larger redfish may be available to support a higher-priced market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses William F. Nye Company which hunted bottlenose dolphins for manufacturing lubricating oil for clocks along with some species of whale during the early twentieth century. Topics include laws governing whaling activity in U.S., history of New England as a prime whaling location, and exploitation of whales and dolphins for commercial purposes.

Efforts to euthanise stranded cetaceans remain highly variable in their outcomes, with few field tested operational procedures available. This study sought to validate the efficacy of using modern firearms technology to euthanise small (<6m length) stranded cetaceans. Post-mortem evidence was gathered from the standardised shooting of cetacean cadavers (n = 10), representing six species, using .30 caliber (7.62mm) firearms and blunt solid copper-alloy non-deforming projectiles, in southwestern Australia. The six species studied were Risso's dolphin, common dolphin, bottlenosed dolphin, pygmy sperm whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, and humpback whale. Post-mortem data revealed that 100% of bullet wound tracts fully penetrated the skulls of shot animals, with associated indirect skull fracturing, secondary bone missiles and brain parenchyma laceration. The results suggest that appropriate firearms technology is fully capable of inducing instantaneous fatal pathology to the central nervous system of these species. In comparison to alternative methods for the euthanasia of stranded cetaceans, the use of firearms is associated with superior animal welfare outcomes, public safety levels and accessibility. This paper provides a template for the safe, humane and repeatable use of this technique to euthanise <6m length stranded cetaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cove is an activist documentary that seeks to stop the dolphin drives in Taiji, Japan in which tens of thousands of dolphins annually are herded into a hidden lagoon where some are culled for dolphinaria and the majority slaughtered. This pro-cetacean effort proceeds by means of an intense, clandestine field deployment of high-tech cameras and audio recorders to infiltrate the forbidden above- and underwater space of the lagoon and expose the stabbing, suffering and dying. Responses to the film have questioned whether the resulting depiction of the coastal whalers is unethical, anti-Japanese or even racist, and whether the film's focus on dolphins neglects the broader catastrophe of marine life depletion. This article develops a spatial media approach to reframe these and raise other questions. Extrapolating from 'eavesdropping' - a research practice that marine mammal scientists use to study dolphin-to-dolphin and dolphin-to-human communication - the article explores how The Cove extends documentary modalities to observe, hear and interact with dolphins in their aquatic environment. The article also considers how certain philosophical and geographical concepts resonate with trauma studies and in an interspecies context. In short, The Cove is conceptualized here as a device for mapping and navigating the ecology of the dolphin-human interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a criticism of Louie Psihoyos's "The Cove," a documentary film about the annual hunt and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The author outlines theories of tolerance to describe one of the discursive spaces wherein emotions supplement traditional politics, and reviews the affect theory on disgust. She then examines the influence of disgust on tolerance and how and why it provokes intolerance, such as in the case of the film.

The article presents a study on the incidental mortality of dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) in trawling fishery in Patagonia, Argentina. Monte Carlo procedures were used to incorporate parameter uncertainties such as fertility, survival rates and age at first reproduction. Results of the study suggests that incidental mortality because of fishing could be a threat for the population of dusky dolphin in Patagonia.

In this article the author talks about issues related to consideration of dolphins as non-human forms. Topics include a circular issued by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests Central Zoo Authority which declare dolphin as non-human persons; beliefs of the Wurundjeri people of southeastern Australia and Maori tribes of southern New Zealand regarding transformation of human into dolphins after death; and hunting of dolphins by people in Taiji Cove, Japan.