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Michael Breen

IMG 9567
Researcher
Telephone: 97031712
Department: Fangst

Mike Breen has been a fisheries scientist since 1993, initially in the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, Scotland, then from 2012, in the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway.  In this time his research has focused mostly on investigating the causes, magnitude and implications of stress and mortality among animals encountering and being released from fishing gears.  Initially, much of his work centred on trying to quantify “collateral” or “unaccounted” fishing mortality (e.g. discard and escape mortality), with the objective of better understanding the impact of fishing activities on fished populations.  In the course of this work, Mike became more interested in why these mortalities occurred, as well as how to mitigate them, by understanding how these animals behaved and interacted with the fishing gear during the capture process.  A key feature of this work was developing and maintaining international cooperation in this research field, which he did as a member and chair of several expert groups in ICES and FAO.  Most recently, Mike has been working with colleagues to develop a strategy to introduce welfare conscious practices to commercial fisheries.  One important element of this strategy is providing empirical evidence for the link between capture related stressors and the survivability of released animals, as well as the impact upon meat quality in the retained catch.  This would demonstrate that good welfare practices in commercial capture fisheries is not just ethically responsible, but has the potential to make fisheries more sustainable (by reducing unwanted catches, collateral mortality and food wastage) and productive (by improving meat quality and product shelf-life).

Publications

Academic articles

2024

Exploiting the “gold of the ocean”: Can live storage solve the paradox of the purse seine fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Norway?

Manu Sistiaga, Neil Anders, Jostein Saltskår, Hermann Pettersen, Michael Breen, Odd Børre Humborstad, Hector Pena, Pau Muñoz-Benavent, Joaquin Martinez-Peiro, Gabriela Andreu-García, Victor Espinosa, Stein Harris Olsen, Tonje Kristin Jensen, Keno Ferter, Leif Nøttestad, Svein Løkkeborg
Marine Policy 172
2024

Guidelines for Evaluating Artificial Light to Mitigate Unwanted Fisheries Bycatch

Noëlle Yochum, Junita D. Karlsen, Jesse F. Senko, John H. Wang, Valentina Melli, Michele Luca Geraci, Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Michael Breen, Elsa Cuende, Shannon M. Bayse, Jasmine Somerville, Andreas Hermann, Alexius Edridge, Emma K. Mackenzie, Peter Ljungberg, Jérôme Chladek, Mattias Van Opstal, Dan Watson, Mark Joseph Max Lomeli, Martin Oliver
Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture
2023

Effects of capture-related stress and pre-freezing holding in refrigerated sea water (RSW) on the muscle quality and storage stability of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) during subsequent frozen storage

Neil Anders, Michael Breen, Torstein Skåra, Bjørn Roth, Izumi Sone
Food Chemistry 405, Part B p. 1-10
2023

Escape Survival and Scale Damage Assessment of Red Mullet (Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758) during Bottom Trawling in the Central Mediterranean Sea

Michele Luca Geraci, Giacomo Sardo, Fabio Falsone, Danilo Scannella, Michael Breen, Fabio Fiorentino, Antonello Sala, Sergio Vitale
Biology (Basel) 12
2022

A catch limitation device to avoid excessive catches in the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) Northeast Atlantic pelagic trawl fishery

Ólafur Arnar Ingólfsson, Michael Breen, Shale Rosen, Manu Sistiaga, Terje Jørgensen, Dagfinn Lilleng, Jostein Saltskår, Liz Beate Kolstad Kvalvik, Sigurd Hannaas, Hermann Pettersen
Frontiers in Marine Science 9
2022

Effects of capture-related stress and pre-freezing holding in refrigerated sea water (RSW) on the muscle quality and storage stability of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) during subsequent frozen storage

Neil Anders, Michael Breen, Torstein Skåra, Bjørn Roth, Izumi Sone
Food Chemistry 405 p. 1-10
2022

Vitality as a measure of animal welfare during purse seine pumping related crowding of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scrombrus)

Neil Anders, Sigurd Hannaas, Jostein Saltskår, Erik Schuster, Maria Tenningen, Bjørn Totland, Aud Vold, Jan Tore Øvredal, Michael Breen
Scientific Reports 12
2021

Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) change skin colour in response to crowding stress

Guro Møen Tveit, Neil Anders, Morten Steen Bondø, John Reidar Bartle Mathiassen, Michael Breen
Journal of Fish Biology p. 1-10
2021

ICES Guidelines on Methods for Estimating Discard Survival

Michael Breen, Tom Catchpole
ICES cooperative research report 351
2021

Physiological response and survival of Atlantic mackerel exposed to simulated purse seine crowding and release

Neil Anders, Bjørn Roth, Mike Breen
Conservation Physiology 9 p. 1-19
2020

Seasonal variation in the survival of discarded Nephrops norvegicus in a NW Mediterranean bottom-trawl fishery

Alfredo García-De-Vinuesa, Michael Breen, Hugues P. Benoît, Francesc Maynou, Montserrat Demestre
Fisheries Research 230 p. 1-8
2020

Physiological and flesh quality consequences of pre-mortem crowding stress in Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

Neil Anders, Ida Eide, Jørgen Lerfall, Bjørn Roth, Michael Breen
PLOS ONE 15
2019

Assessing the effectiveness of an electrical stunning and chilling protocol for the slaughter of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

Neil Anders, Bjørn Roth, Endre Grimsbø, Michael Breen
PLOS ONE 14
2019

Behavioural and welfare implications of a new slipping methodology for purse seine fisheries in Norwegian waters

Neil Anders, Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Bjørn Totland, Jan Tore Øvredal, Aud Vold
PLOS ONE 14
2019

Effects on individual level behaviour in mackerel (Scomber scombrus) of sub-lethal capture related stressors: Crowding and hypoxia

Neil Anders, Kirsten Howarth, Bjørn Totland, Nils Olav Handegard, Maria Tenningen, Michael Breen
PLOS ONE 14
2018

By-catch species susceptibilities and potential for survival in Algarve (southern Portugal) deep-water crustacean trawl fishery

Ana C. Adão, Michael Breen, Moritz Eichert, Teresa Borges
Scientia Marina 82
2018

Artificial light in baited pots substantially increases the catch of cod (Gadus morhua) by attracting active bait, krill (Thysanoessa inermis).

Odd Børre Humborstad, Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Michael Breen, Svein Løkkeborg
ICES Journal of Marine Science
2018

Effects of different slipping methods on the mortality of sardine, sardina pilchardus, after purse-seine capture off the Portuguese southern coast (Algarve)

Ana Marcalo, Pedro Guerreiro, Luis Bentes, Mafalda Rangel, Pedro Monteiro, Frederico Oliveira, Carlos Afonso, Pedro Pousao-Ferreira, Hugues P. Benoit, Michael Breen, Karim Erzini, Jorge M.S. Goncalves
PLOS ONE 13
2018

Behavioural responses of krill and cod to artificial light in laboratory experiments

Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Michael Breen, Svein Løkkeborg, Odd Børre Humborstad
PLOS ONE 13
2018

Comparing the catch composition, profitability and discard survival from different trammel net designs targeting common spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) in a Mediterranean fishery

Gaetano Catanese, Hilmar Hinz, Maria del Mar Gil, Miquel Palmer, Michael Breen, Antoni Mira, Elena Pastor, Amalia Grau, Andrea Campos-Candela, Elka Koleva, Antoni M. Grau, Beatriz Morales-Nin
PeerJ 2018
2018

Recovery from exhaustive swimming and its effect on fillet quality in haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)

Anders Karlsson-Drangsholt, Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Øyvind Aas-Hansen, Stein Harris Olsen, Kjell Øivind Midling, Michael Breen, Endre Grimsbø, Helge K. Johnsen
Fisheries Research 197 p. 96-104
2017

Seasonal variation in mortality of red mullet (Mullus barbatus) escaping from codends of three different sizes in the Aegean Sea

F. Ozan Düzbastılar, Michael Breen, Celalettin Aydin, Hüseyin Özbilgin, Aytaç Özgül, Ali Ulas, Gülnur Metin, Benal Gül, Altan Lök
Scientia Marina 81 p. 339-349
2017

The loss of schooling function in mackerel in response to crowding but not hypoxia

Nils Olav Handegard, Maria Tenningen, Kirsten Howarth, Neil Anders, Guillaume Rieucau, Michael Breen
PLOS ONE
2017

Effects on schooling function in mackerel of sub-lethal capture related stressors: Crowding and hypoxia

Nils Olav Handegard, Maria Tenningen, Kirsten Howarth, Neil Anders, Guillaume Rieucau, Michael Breen
PLOS ONE 12 p. 1-16
2017

Variacion estacional en la mortalidad post pesca del salmonete (Mullus barbatus), capturado con arrastre de fondo en el mar Egeo

F. Ozan Düzbastılar, Michael Breen, Celalettin Aydin, Hüseyin Özbilgin, Aytaç Özgül, Ali Ulas, Gülnur Metin, Benal Gül, Altan Lök
Scientia Marina 81 p. 339-349
2016

Estimating seabed pressure from demersal trawls, seines, and dredges based on gear design and dimensions

Ole Eigaard, Francois Bastardie, Michael Breen, Grete E. Dinesen, Niels T. Hintzen, Pascal Laffargue, Lars O. Mortensen, J. Rasmus Nielsen, Hans C. Nilsson, Finbarr G. O’Neill, Hans Polet, David G. Reid, Antonello Sala, Mattias Skold, Chris Smith, Thomas K. Sørensen, Oliver Tully, Mustafa Zengin, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp
ICES Journal of Marine Science 73 p. i27-i43
2016

Selective fishing and balanced harvesting

Michael Breen, Norman Graham, Michael Pol, Pingguo He, Dave Reid, Petri Suuronen
Fisheries Research 184 p. 2-8
2015

Survival and recovery of longline- and pot-caught cod (Gadus morhua) for use in capture-based aquaculture (CBA)

Odd Børre Humborstad, Michael Breen, Michael W. Davis, Svein Løkkeborg, Anders Mangor-Jensen, Kjell Øyvind Midling, Rolf Erik Olsen
Fisheries Research 174 p. 103-108
2015

Survival and recovery of longlin- and pot-caught cod (Gadus morhua) for use in capture-based aquaculture (CBA)

Odd Børre Humborstad, Michael Breen, Michael W. Davis, Svein Løkkeborg, Anders Mangor-Jensen, Kjell Ø. Midling, Rolf Erik Olsen
Fisheries Research 174 p. 103-108

Scientific lectures

2024

Catch quality and welfare in a live-delivery fishery in Norway for haddock

Tonje Kristin Jensen, Michael Breen, Margrethe Esaiassen, Gustav Martinsen, Sjúrður Joensen, Olafur Ingolfsson, Torbjørn Inge Tobiassen
2024

Catch Welfare Platform - Developing Innovations in Catch Welfare in Commercial Fisheries.

Michael Breen, Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Neil Anders, Michelle Boonstra, Endre Grimsbø, Thu Thuy Nguyen, Bjørn Roth, Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Hans van de Vis
2024

Catch Welfare Platform - Developing Innovations in Catch Welfare in Commercial Fisheries

Michael Breen, Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Neil Anders, Michelle Boonstra, Endre Grimsbø, Thu Thuy Nguyen, Bjørn Roth, Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Hans van de Vis
2024

The value of welfare: What can we expect from consumers if we increase their exposure to more facts about animal welfare?

Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Michelle Boonstra, Michael Breen, Bjørn Roth, Endre Grimsbø, Hans van de Vis
2023

Catch welfare in commercial fisheries

Michael Breen, Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Neil Anders, Michelle Boonstra, Endre Grimsbø, Thu Thuy Nguyen, Bjørn Roth, Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Hans van de Vis
2019

Observations on the welfare of fish released from demersal trawls.

Breen, Michael
2019

Physiological and flesh quality consequences of pre-mortem crowding stress in Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

Neil Anders, Ida Eide, Jørgen Lerfall, Bjørn Roth, Michael Breen
2019

CRISP - eight years of innovation in fisheries technology

Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Egil Ona, Shale Rosen, Maria Tenningen
2018

Use of artificial light in fishing, what we have learned from the previous ICES Topic Group

Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Michael Breen
2017

From survival studies to management - Norwegian purse seine fisheries

Maria Tenningen, Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Egil Ona, Gavin Macaulay, Neil Anders, Hector Pena, Jostein Saltskår, Bjørn Totland, Jan Tore Øvredal
2017

Behaviour of mackerel and herring during slipping from purse seines

Neil Anders, Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Bjørn Totland, Aud Vold
2016

Beste praksis for slipping fra not

Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Neil Anders
2014

Trawling impact on megabenthos and sediment in the Barents Sea: use of satellite vessel monitoring and video

Lene Buhl-Mortensen, Kari Elsa Ellingsen, Pål Buhl-Mortensen, Kristian Landmark Skaar, Genoveva Gonzalez-Mirelis, Michael Breen

Poster

2023

The catch welfare platform: a multidisciplinary approach for improving fish welfare in global fisheries

Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Michelle Boonstra, Michael Breen, Bjørn Roth, Themistoklis Altintzoglou, Endre Grimsbø, Hans van de Vis
2019

Mackerel can be humanely slaughtered using electrical stunning and chilling

Neil Anders, Bjørn Roth, Endre Grimsbø, Michael Breen
2018

Behavioural responses of krill and cod to artificial light in laboratory experiments

Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Michael Breen, Svein Løkkeborg, Odd Børre Humborstad

Reports and dissertations

2024

Økt levendeleveranse av hyse fra snurrevadflåten : Faglig sluttrapport

Torbjørn Inge Tobiassen, Margrethe Esaiassen, Tonje Kristin Jensen, Sjúrður Joensen, Gustav Martinsen, Stein Harris Olsen, Silje Kristoffersen, Tatiana Nikolaevna Ageeva, Rowan Peter Romeyn, Kristin Beate Hansen, Heidi Nilsen, Michael Breen, Ólafur Arnar Ingólfsson, Odd Børre Humborstad
Nofima rapportserie
2023

Pilot project for the short-time live storage of bluefin tuna — Trials onboard MS Vestbris 2023

Manu Sistiaga, Hermann Pettersen, Jostein Saltskår, Michael Breen, Odd Børre Humborstad, Hector Pena, Neil Anders, Stein Harris Olsen, Joaquin Martinez-Peiro, Tonje Kristin Jensen
Rapport fra havforskningen
2023

Seleksjon i reketrål: overlevelse til reker som selekteres ut i overflaten - Sluttrapport for FHF-prosjekt 901661

Terje Jørgensen, Ólafur Arnar Ingólfsson, Wenche Merete Emblem Larssen, Neil Anders, Gyda Christophersen, Liz Beate Kolstad Kvalvik, Anja Monika Landes, Stian Stiansen, Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Thomas Hagby Dahl, Sigurd Hannaas, Anders Jelmert
Rapport fra havforskningen
2023

Catch Control in the Blue Whiting Pelagic Trawl Fishery - Research Cruise Report [2022825]: FV “Vikingbank”

Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Sigurd Hannaas, Liz Beate Kolstad Kvalvik, Ólafur Arnar Ingólfsson, Dagfinn Lilleng, Hermann Pettersen, Bjørn Foss, Alexander William Ingvarsson Hals
2021

Fangstkontroll i fisket etter kolmule med pelagisk trål

Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Sigurd Hannaas, Liz Beate Kolstad Kvalvik, Ólafur Arnar Ingólfsson, Dagfinn Lilleng
2021

Fangstkontroll i notfiske etter pelagiske arter: Fase 2 – Faglig sluttrapport

Lars Tandle Kyllingstad, Joakim Haugen, Maria Tenningen, Michael Breen
2018

Purse Seine Catch Control - Faglig sluttrapport

Hector Pena, Jostein Saltskår, Bjørn Totland, Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Olafur Ingolfsson, Maria Tenningen, Jan Tore Øvredal
2017

Beste praksis for slipping fra not. Faglig sluttrapport for prosjekt «Utvikling av standard slippemetode for makrell og sild i fiske med not».

Neil Anders, Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Bjørn Totland, Aud Vold
2016

Science, Technology, and Society Initiative to Minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries - Final report

Ben Brinberg, X. Valasques, Amit Lerner, Aida Campos, Moritz Eichert, Paulo J. Fonseca, L. Marques, Margarida Castro, Anne Christine Utne-Palm, Endre Grimsbø, Shale Rosen, Michael Breen, Dan Watson, Aran Dasan
2016

Tester av «beste praksis for slipping fra not».

Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår, Aud Vold, Bjørn Totland, Neil Anders
2016

Har testet beste praksis for slipping fra not

Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Jostein Saltskår
2016

Assessing mackerel behaviour following crowding-induced stress in purse seine fisheries

Kirsten Howarth, Maria Tenningen, Michael Breen
2016

The nature and degree of skin damage in mackerel (Scomber scombrus) following mechanical stress: Can skin damage lead to mortality following crowding in a purse seine?

Eugene Kitsios, Michael Breen, Maria Tenningen
2014

Låssetting av sommermakrell: Gjennomføring av låssetting og prøvetaking

Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Bjørn Totland
2014

Using behaviour of herring (Clupea harengus L.) to assess post-crowding stress in purse-seine fisheries

Rachael Morgan, Michael Breen
2014

Sluttrapport for prosjekt #900514: "Utvikling av ressurs- og miljøvennlig notteknologi"

Bjørnar Isaksen, Jostein Saltskår, Aud Vold, Michael Breen, Bjørn Totland, Jan Tore Øvredal
2013

Prøvetaking i notfiske etter sild, makrell og lodde. Forsøk med fastmontert prøvetakings- og observasjonsutstyr i ringnot

Bjørnar Isaksen, Jostein Saltskår, Aud Vold, Bjørn Totland, Jan Tore Øvredal, Michael Breen
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