Fish Behavior and Fishing Gear

This course reviews and discusses recent advances in fish behavior and conservation technology related to management and sustainable utilization of fisheries resources. The course intend to provide students with both global and local perspectives of fish behavior and fishing technology, and will include the following topics: history of world marine capture fisheries, major fishing gears used in global commercial fisheries, behavior of fish as individuals, schools and stocks; swimming and schooling mechanism and their relation to oceanographic processes; sensory capabilities of fish as related to capture and conservation; fish behavior near major fishing gear types during the capture processes and related conservation measures including recent designs and devices that reduce bycatch and discards in capture fisheries. This cause will also briefly introduce conservation issues facing marine capture fisheries including bycatch and fishing mortality estimates, unaccounted mortalities related to fishing, effect of fishing on seabed, marine mammals, sea birds, turtles and other protected and/or charismatic species. The course is offered with lectures, discussions and student presentations.