This paper presents results of a study conducted on the trawling industrial fishery fleet of Merluccius gayi in south-central Chile, and the resulting interactions with the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens). This study is based on observations made during September 2004, when incidental sea lion catch in the trawls was 6.3 sea lions/working day (1.2 sea lions/trawl−1). A total of 82 animals were incidentally caught, of which 12 were found dead, and the 70 remaining suffered from internal bleeding and/or fractures as a result of their capture. 83.3% of the fatalities occurred during nocturnal trawls, which comprise 30% of all observed trawls. Possible mechanisms of sea lion take are discussed. This note presents the first records of sea lions incidental by-catch by the trawler fleet along the south-east Pacific coast of Chile.

Until recently, the spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata Gould was listed as Critically Endangered due to its small population size and ongoing incidental mortality on fishing gear. Surveys at its sole breeding locality, Inaccessible Island in the central South Atlantic Ocean, indicated that the population increased from 1999–2004, resulting in the species being down-listed to Vulnerable. We repeated the census of breeding spectacled petrels during the early incubation period in October–November 2009. Numbers of burrows increased by 55% from 2004–09, with increases in all count zones, and the greatest changes in peripheral populations. Burrow occupancy estimates remained high, averaging 81% during one-off checks. Our best estimate of the population in 2009 was 14 400 pairs, continuing the c. 7% per year increase inferred since the 1930s following the disappearance of introduced pigs. This confirms the rapid recovery of this species despite ongoing mortality on fishing gear. Our results suggest that at least some procellariiforms are able to sustain strong growth rates in the face of fishing mortality when colony based threats are removed.

European hake Merluccius merluccius is the main commercial demersal species in the Gulf of Lions (Northwestern mediterranean). This fish is exploited by French and Spanish trawler fleets and by small-scale fisheries using gillnets and longlines. Data on landings and the demography of catches by type of gear are now available for the period 1988–1991. The assessment of the hake stock was carried out using methods of virtual population analysis (VPA), or cohort analysis, based respectively on mean pseudocohorts and cohorts by age. The results of these VPA were then analysed and compared from a methodological point of view. The general results have confirmed previous studies with regard to the level of exploitation of the species. The two methods gave quite similar results for fishing mortality rates and for mean biomass. The maximal fishing mortality rate was observed at age 4, but it was already high at age 1, due to the exploitation of juveniles by trawlers. The mean biomass was about 7 000 tons. The high values for turnover (about 80% or more) and for the maximal biomass/mean biomass ratio (23% or more) indicated a high level of exploitation but did not seem high enough to be dangerous for the stock. Yield-per-recruit analysisshowed also that the present level of exploitation is far above the optimal sustainable level.