The Oceanogràfic Collaborates with Fishermen in Gandia to Find Solutions to Fishing Problems.

 The Oceanogràfic collaborates with fishermen in Gandia to find solutions to fishing problems.

• Bioacoustics will be one of the first tools assessed by the zoological center’s scientists.

Valencia, July 21, 2017

Scientists from the Oceanogràfic Foundation, together with fisheries and environmental officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development, met yesterday, in a first meeting, at the Gandia fishermen’s association to listen to the concerns and problems of professionals in the sector in relation to the appearance of dolphins and address possible solutions to the problems they pose.

The sharing of ideas and solutions aims to learn firsthand about the problems that fishermen encounter in their professional activity in order to draw up lines of study and action that improve fishing practices and, at the same time, make them respectful of the other animals that inhabit the sea.

The fishing community, which lives off marine resources, is the main stakeholder in the health and conservation of the ecosystem and has been collaborative and driven the initiative. Their experience and knowledge will be essential to guide research and management plans with regard to conservation.

Bioacoustics, the science that studies the sounds emitted by marine animals, mainly cetaceans, will be the first scientific tool to be assessed for application in this collaboration between the administration, the Oceanogràfic, and the fishermen of the Valencian town.