1. Is net illumination a silver bullet for mitigating sea turtle bycatch in set net fisheries?Matic Jančič, Matteo Benussi, Sven Amančić, Peter Mackelworth, Draško Holcer, Bojan Lazar, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Fisheries bycatch is the main threat to sea turtle populations in marine habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. Bycatch in set nets accounts for 30,000 catches yearly, which combined with mortality rates of up to 82.6 %, makes it the deadliest fishing gear in the region. The Adriatic Sea is one of the most important foraging and developmental habitats for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean. Bycatch in the Adriatic small-scale set net fishery is estimated at over 8900 individuals per year placing its mitigation among international conservation priorities. Use of light emitting diodes (LED lights) of different wavelengths as bycatch deterrents was proposed as an effective conservation tool, reducing bycatch levels by up to 93 %. In the present study we: (i) quantified the effects of net illumination on loggerhead sea turtle bycatch rates and (ii) demonstrate the importance of regional validation of conservation tools effectiveness prior to their widespread adoption. We assessed the effects of green LED lights on sea turtle bycatch rates in 390 net pairs with total length of 1278 km monitored nets. We found no significant change in sea turtle bycatch rates as a result of net illumination. A significant decrease of 35 % of primary target catch was observed in illuminated trammel nets. Possible explanations include fluctuating turbidity and an adapted LED light attachment method. Observed sea turtle bycatch rates in unilluminated nets were up to 84 times lower than in comparable gears in Northern Adriatic Sea. Understanding the drivers behind the differing bycatch rates would be necessary before conservation decisions are made. Our study showed that the net illumination is not necessarily a silver bullet for bycatch mitigation in set nets globally, and that regional testing is a key requirement before its introduction in fisheries as a conservation tool.
Keywords: marine megafauna, Caretta caretta, small scale fisheries, bottom set nets, bycatch hotspot, bycatch mitigation, visual deterrents
Published in RUP: 06.08.2025; Views: 375; Downloads: 2
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2. Mediterranean sea turtles: current knowledge and priorities for conservation and researchPaolo Casale, Annette C. Broderick, Juan Antonio Camiñas, Luis Cardona, Carlos Carreras, Andreas Demetropoulos, Wayne J. Fuller, Brendan J. Godley, Sandra, Hochscheid, Bojan Lazar, 2018, review article Keywords: Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, nesting areas, foraging grounds, population abundance and trends, population structure, behavioural ecology, biometrics
Published in RUP: 14.08.2019; Views: 3156; Downloads: 166
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3. Epizoic diatoms associated with the neck skin of adriatic loggerhead seaturtleSunčica Bosak, Bojan Lazar, Romana Gračan, Lucija Kanjer, Bart Van de Vijver, Roksana Majewska, 2018, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: epizoic diatoms, Caretta caretta, Adriatic sea
Published in RUP: 09.08.2019; Views: 3510; Downloads: 110
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4. The coherence of the European Union marine Natura 2000 network for wide-ranging charismatic species : a Mediterranean case studyCaterina Maria Fortuna, Ana Cañadas, Draško Holcer, Benedetta Brecciaroli, Gregory P. Donovan, Bojan Lazar, Giulia Mo, Leonardo Tunesi, Peter Mackelworth, 2018, original scientific article Keywords: marine protected areas, Natura 2000, aerial surveys, cetaceans, marine turtles, Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta
Published in RUP: 09.08.2019; Views: 3182; Downloads: 268
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5. Evaluating post-release survival of loggerhead sea turtles bycaught in bottom trawls : assessing the effectiveness of a low-cost conservation methodBojan Lazar, Tilen Genov, Paolo Casale, Jure Miočić-Stošić, Grga Pleslić, Draško Holcer, 2018, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: post-release survival, Caretta caretta, Adriatic sea
Published in RUP: 09.08.2019; Views: 2833; Downloads: 159
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6. The prospect of a transboundary marine protected area to help resolve the Piran bay border dispute in the Northern AdriaticMatic Jančič, 2016, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: Piran Bay, marine protected area, transboundary conservation, NATURA 2000, Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta, human dimensions, crossborder cooperation, management plan
Published in RUP: 23.07.2019; Views: 3111; Downloads: 59
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7. Potencial za ustanovitev čezmejnega morskega zavarovanega območja v Piranskem zalivu in okolici, Severni Jadran : magistrsko deloMatic Jančič, 2015, master's thesis Keywords: Piran Bay, marine protected area, transboundary conservation, NATURA 2000, Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta, human dimensions, crossborder cooperation, management plan
Published in RUP: 13.11.2017; Views: 4307; Downloads: 56
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8. Ingestion of marine debris by loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, in the Adriatic SeaBojan Lazar, Romana Gračan, 2011, original scientific article Abstract: We examined the occurrence of marine debris in the gastrointestinal tract of 54 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) found stranded or incidentally captured dead by fisheries in the Adriatic Sea, with a curved carapace length of 25.0-79.2 cm. Marine debris was present in 35.2% of turtles and included soft plastic, ropes, Styrofoam and monofilament lines found in 68.4%, 42.1%, 15.8% and 5.3% of loggerheads that have ingested debris, respectively. The dry mass of debris per turtle was low, ranging from <0.01 to 0.71 g, and the ingestion was not significantly affected by sex or body siye (all p > 0.05). Marine debris averaged 2.2 +- 8.0% of dry mass of gut content, with a maximum of 35% found in a juvenile turtle that most likely died due to debris ingestion. Considering the relatively high occurrence of debris intake and possible sub-lethal effects of even small quantities of marine debris, this can be an additional factor of concern for loggerheads in the Adriatic Sea
Keywords: Sea turtles, Caretta caretta, marine debris, plastic, pollution, Adriatic Sea
Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 5729; Downloads: 150
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10. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) as bioturbators in neritic habitatsBojan Lazar, Romana Gračan, Jelena Katić, Dušan Zavodnik, Andrej Jaklin, Nikola Tvrtković, 2011, original scientific article Keywords: Caretta caretta, bioturbation, ecological role, feeding ecology, Mollusca, sea turtles, Adriatic sea
Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 7194; Downloads: 98
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