Lack of Compliance in Gillnet Fisheries Regulations Increases Risk to a Vulnerable Species

ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of regulatory compliance in a Brazilian gillnet fishery, based on Vessel Monitoring System ( VMS ) tracking data. Satellite transmissions records, interpreted as proxies for gillnet haulings events, were analyzed and classified using a neural network to assess the level of compliance of the gillnet fleet. Four key regulatory criteria assessed: (i) satellite tracking rules; (ii) net length; (iii) fishing exclusion zones; and (iv) temporal fishing closure. The findings on gillnet along the southern and southeastern Brazilian coast demonstrates a persistent pattern of non‐compliance with critical regulatory measures, including net length restrictions, spatial closures, and uninterrupted transmission of vessel monitoring system ( VMS ) signals, even after a decade of regulatory enforcement. This combination of factors means that the greatest incidence of fishing effort, the main threat to several threatened species, especially the franciscana that occurs in areas of greater fishing effort.