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Definition of bycatch
: the portion of a commercial fishing catch that consists of marine animals caught unintentionally
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Recent Examples of bycatch from the Web
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Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials who manage the pikeminnow bounty fishery told Thomas the walleye bycatch during pikeminnow fishing season more than doubled in 2016.
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What’s needed: scientifically set quotas, protected nursery and spawning habitats, and reduced bycatch (unwanted fish caught unintentionally).
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Environmental work would go beyond coral reefs to include environmental hazards such as large-scale oil spills and bycatch issues with sharks and other species.
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If a whale is caught as bycatch, fishermen must report the incident to the Coast Guard.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bycatch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of bycatch
1974
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