Bycatch mortality can cause extirpation in four freshwater turtle species

Abstract Bycatch of non‐target species in commercial fishing nets can have adverse impacts on their populations. Freshwater turtle populations are particularly susceptible to increases in adult mortality, and freshwater turtles are among the most threatened vertebrates. As a case study, the population‐level impacts of bycatch mortality on freshwater turtles were evaluated in Lake Opinicon, Ontario, Canada, a lake that supports a …