bycatch

Aquatic birds play an important role in shallow water ecosystems, affecting the diversity of their prey communities and providing an important link in the food web. Over the years, mortality has increased in many aquatic bird species due to human activity. New research on a population of Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), an aquatic bird species native to Europe, determined that fisheries contribute heavily to its mortality and gives us tools to understand how we can reduce this impact. If no action is taken, this species could become endangered within the next 30 years.