Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Releases Survey on Marine Mammal Deterrents

NOAA's Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee(MAFAC) has released a survey to gather knowledge and perceptions about the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents currently employed by commercial, recreational, and tribal fishermen; aquaculture farmers; and marina and coastal property owners and managers. Developed in response to a request from NOAA Fisheries, the data collected will be used to create an index to identify the relative effectiveness of different allowable deterrents used by various user groups nationwide to reduce the risk of expected losses from damage by marine mammals on various user groups nationwide. The ultimate goal is to help NOAA Fisheries identify and prioritize those marine mammal deterrents that should be tested for their effectiveness to safely deter marine mammals and protect fishing gear/catch and property. If you are an aquaculture farmer; commercial, recreational, or tribal fishermen; or a coastal property owner or manager, please take a few minutes and complete the survey linked HEREand below. The survey is open until November 22, 2024. For more information, please contact Katie Zanowicz at [email protected].