Mobile Fishing Gear Effects Bibliography Database

The Mobile Fishing Gear Effects literature citation collection is a comprehensive listing of scientific and popular literature on demersal, mobile fishing gear and the potential effects of its use. The primary focus is on trawling, dredging and raking, and the resulting direct disturbance to marine habitats and the associated biological communities. To a lesser extent, papers addressing other potential effects, such as bycatch, discards and changes to ecological succession, are also referenced if directly related to mobile gear fishing. This database does not reference papers that specifically investigate fishing impacts due to trapping, ghost fishing, use of poisons/chemicals, dynamite blasting or impacts due to boat hulls, anchors or propeller wash.

The scope of the database is worldwide, and papers will reflect studies conducted in nearshore tidal flats to the deeper regions of the continental shelves. Papers written in languages other than English are also included in the database, and English translations of the titles and abstracts are provided when possible. An earlier version of this bibliography, August 2000, is available in PDF format. The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission also provides a similar citation database on Fishing Impacts (FishingImpacts.pdt).