According to the report the study shows that sound waves from seismic data acquisition resulted in increased catches for some species and smaller catches for others. It appears that pollack may, to some extent, have withdrawn from the area, while other species seem to remain. The research study was commissioned by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and carried out by the Institute of Marine Research during the summer of 2009.
These results really throw light on the different reactions of fish species. The study was on the effects of seismic surveys off Vesterålen. This consequential research project is one of the largest ever conducted. The survey clearly indicates that the fish reacted to the sound from the seismic guns.
The study reveals that the main reason behind both the increased and reduced catches for the various species and fishing gear is that the sound waves from the seismic guns put the fish under some stress, causing more swimming activity, the report states. This better explain why more Greenland halibut went into the net, while long line catches of the same species declined.
