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“EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE” P A G E 105 Are Dolphins Fish Thieves? Investigating the Impact of Dolphins on Fishing in Jamaica Depredation from artisanal Antillean fish traps by dolphins has been reported by fishers in Jamaica since at least 2000 with only one study, largely based on questionnaires, conducted to examine the issue. Dolphins have been reported to interfere with fishing by either tearing fishing nets or overturning fish traps, causing fish to escape. In an attempt to document depredation by dolphins, and thus be able to recommend remedial actions, a research project was developed by UTech’s Faculty of Science and Sport, in collaboration with the University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom. The researchers are Ms. Christine O’Sullivan (Lead Researcher), Dr. Debbie-Ann Gordon-Smith, and Dr. Ricardo Antunes (St. Andrews University). The research proposal was funded by the University’s Research Development Fund, with co-funding from the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Two field seasons were conducted in Jamaica with data collection in Montego Bay, St. James, and Bluefields, Westmoreland in May 2015 and Bluefields, Westmoreland, in December 2015. During the field seasons, high definition video cameras were deployed daily adjacent to fish traps to record any potential depredation. Video was recorded at 30 frames per second, with either 1920x720 or 1920x1080 pixel resolution on a 128 Gb card for a period of 24 hours. Inadditiontothedeploymentof thevideocameras, photo-identification surveys were conducted for the establishment of Jamaica’s first dolphin photo-identification catalogue. During the first season of field research, no depredation events were recorded in Montego Bay; however, nine separate depredation events by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were recorded in Bluefields. An additional two depredation events were recorded during the second season of field research. The depredation events showed single dolphins either turning fish traps into an upright position and extracting and eating the fish caught or attempting to extract fish from traps that had already been turned. The photo-identification surveys allowed for the addition of MARINE BIOLOGY Christine O’Sullivan Faculty of Science & Sport ChristineO’Sullivan