Marine birds drowning in fishing nets in the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic): numbers, species composition, age and sex structure

Abstract

During eight seasons (1972-1976 and 1986-1990) 1 254 marine birds of 24 species, drowned in fishing nets in the Gulf of Gdansk, were collected and studied. As a rule, the most numerous bird species in the Gulf constituted the most common by-catch. It is estimated that about 17 500 birds (10-20% of the number observed in the area) die annually in nets. -from Author