Impacts of Marine Debris and Fisheries on Sirenians

Abstract

Harmful marine debris includes land and ship-sourced waste and abandoned fishing gear from recreational and commercial fisheries; these forms of debris are making their way into waterways and oceans with increasing frequency. For sirenians, marine debris and fisheries pose a significant risk to their well-being through entanglement, ingestion and hunting, both legal and illegal, as well as through more indirect ways, such as changing social structures and creating orphans through loss of cohorts. This chapter addresses the welfare impacts of marine debris and fisheries on sirenians. It also explores the changes in attitude that are occurring in many of the stakeholders involved and how these are translating into positive outcomes.