Integrating Local Ecological Knowledge and Fishing Effort Data to Inform Bycatch Management of Threatened Marine Fauna in Small‐Scale Fisheries

ABSTRACT Aim To examine the utility of local ecological knowledge (LEK) and fishing effort data in revealing bycatch patterns of marine threatened species in small‐scale fisheries to inform their conservation and management. Location Northern Haizhou Bay, China (35° to 37° N, 119° to 122° E). Methods We conducted semi‐structured interviews on fishers ( N = 97) in small‐scale fisheries to derive LEK about bycatch of 20 threatened species (12 sharks, one mammal, one seahorse and six seabirds). We analysed the bycatch/sighting occurrence seasonality, gear‐specific bycatch risk, perceived bycatch levels and trends of these species. We compared the qualitative description with quantitative data of bycatch levels using Hellinger Distances. We identified fishery‐wildlife conflict hotspots based on fishing effort data from the Global Fishing Watch and LEK‐elicited species distributions. Results Our results revealed that the fishers could provide occurrences of 12 threatened fauna (excluding seabirds) which peaked in spring and autumn; their perceived bycatch levels were generally very low. Overall, fishers couldn't discriminate seabird species and suggested that bycatch of seabirds was extremely rare. Trawlers imposed the highest bycatch risk to almost all focal species. Of the six species with available data, only two had qualitative categorisations of perceived bycatch levels that aligned with quantitative estimates. Perceived bycatch levels of all species declined, but only three had quantitative estimations (a decline rate of 80%–89% over past decade). Additionally, bycatch of threatened species largely occurred in a coastal area (34°30′–36°30′ N and 119°0′–121°30′ E) that was heavily fished. Main Conclusions The threatened marine bycatch fauna in the Northern Haizhou Bay demand urgent population assessment and precautionary management measures. Fishers' quantitative and qualitative knowledge provides useful data on bycatch levels and their trends for these fauna. Our study provides a cost‐effective approach to inform bycatch management of threatened marine species in small‐scale fisheries of developing countries.