Bycatches in salmon drift-nets at West Greenland in 1972

Resumé

On the basis of catch-per-unit-effort of bycatches by commercial vessels, estimates have been derived on numbers of individuals of various species captured by the non-Greenlandic vessels fishing for Atlantic salmon at West Greenland during 1972. Of all bycatches, seabirds were taken most frequently, murres (Uria lomvia) being most common with an estimated kill of about 207,000 individuals. Estimated approximate kills of other seabird species occuring less frequently were: dovekie (Plautus alle) - 10,000, greater shearwater (Puffinus gravis) - 2700, black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) - 1800 and Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) - 900. Of fish species only Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was taken in significant quantities (about 11,000 individuals).