Available data suggest that, in addition to the obvious catches of fish for human needs, the by- catches in the world’s fisheries have a significant ecological impact and cause mortality amongst fin-fish (particularly the juveniles of commercial fish species), as well as amongst benthic invertebrates, marine mammals, turtles and birds. FAO estimated recently that world-wide, the by-catch discarded in the commercial fisheries amounts to around 20 million metric tons and accounts for economic losses that run into billions of dollars annually (in terms of the potential value which could be realized if, a few years later the discarded juveniles were to.
