Sara Königson

I specializes in the field of marine mammal and fisheries interactions. My work involves developing fishing gear for small-scale fisheries, with an emphasis on sustainability, selectivity, and seal-safe fishing gear. This includes trying out fishing gears in collaboration with commercial fishers. Additionally, I conducts research on the behavior of marine mammals and fish in relation to fishing gear. The findings and conclusions derived from my research contribute in the management of coastal commercial fisheries.

Over the past decade, I have dedicated my efforts to studying the negative impact of fisheries on marine mammals, particularly the bycatch of harbour porpoises and seals, and exploring solutions to mitigate this issue. I has evaluated various mitigation methods designed to reduce the bycatch of harbor porpoises in gillnet fisheries. These mitigation measures include alternative fishing gear, acoustic deterrent devices and acoustic visual modifications to gillnets that decrease bycatch of harbour porpoise. I has also studied the use of acoustic deterrents potential impact on porpoise behavior, consequently, influence their population dynamics. 

I supervise masterstudents who are interested in marine mammal interaktions. Past years I have supervised 18 master student. in addition I also supervise Ph D students. 

Fetterplace LC, Ljungberg P, Benavente Norrman E, Bohlin F, Sörman L, Johannesson P, Rooth D, Königson S. (2023) AquaticVID: a low cost, extended battery life, plug-and-go video system for aquatic research. Research Ideas and Outcomes 9: e114134. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.9.e114134  

Kindt-Larsen L, Glemarec G, Berg CW, Königson S, Kroner A-M, Søgaard M, Lusseau D. (2023) Knowing the fishery to know the bycatch: bias-corrected estimates of harbour porpoise bycatch in gillnet fisheries. Proc. R. Soc. B 290: 20222570. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2570 

Kindt-Larsen L, Willestofte C, Hedgärde M, and Königson S. (2023) Avoiding grey seal depredation in the Baltic Sea while increasing catch rates of cod. Fisheries Research 261 

Bryhn, A., Lunneryd, S-G., and Königson, S. (2023) Predator damaged eel caught in coastal fisheries of the Baltic Sea. Fisheries Research. Vol 267

Suuronen, P., Lunneryd, S.-G., Konigson, S., Coelho, N. F., Waldo, Å., Eriksson, V., Svelsf, K., Lehtonen, E., Psuty, I., & Vetemaa, M. (2023) Reassessing the management criteria of growing seal populations: The case of Baltic grey seal and coastal fishery. Marine Policy, 155, 105684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105684  

Bryhn, A., Bergek, S., Bergström, U., Casini, M., Dahlgren, E., Ek, C., Hjelm, J., Königson, S., Ljungberg, P., Lundström, K., Lunneryd, S.G., Ovegård, M., Sköld, M., Valentinsson, D., Vitale, F. and Wennhage, H. (2022) Which factors can affect the productivity and dynamics of cod stocks in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak? Ocean and Coastal Management. 223.  doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106154

Ljungberg P, Königson S and Lunneryd S-G. (2022) An evolution of pontoon traps for cod fishing (Gadus morhua) in the southern Baltic Sea. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:981822. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.981822  

Paitach, R., Amundin, M., Königson, S., Cremer, M. (2022) Assessing effectiveness and side effects of likely “seal safe” pinger sounds to ward off endangered franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei). Marine Mammal Science. 2022;1–15. 

Königson S, Naddafi R, Lunneryd S-G, Bryhn AC, Macleod K and Ljungberg P. (2022) Effects of fishery and environmental factors on a novel multispecies pot targeting European lobster (Homarus gammarus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and edible crab (Cancer pagurus). Front. Mar. Sci. 9:985431. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.985431 

Königson, S., Hedgärde, M., Naddaffi, R., Pettersson, A., Östman, Ö., Benavente Norrman, E., and Amundin, M. (2021) Will harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) be deterred by a pinger that cannot be used as a “dinner bell” by seals? Marine Mammal Science 21:1 (20) 

Waldo, Å., Johansson, M., Blomquist, J., Jansson, T., Königson, S., Lunneryd, S-G., Persson, A., and Waldo, S. (2020) Local attitudes towards management measures for the co-existence of seals and coastal fishery - A Swedish case study. Marine Policy 118  

Ljungberg, P., Ovegård, M., Öhman, K., and Königson, S. (2019) Correlation between catch method, condition and diet patterns in Atlantic (Gadus morhua). ICES Journal of Marine Science 77:1. 

Calamnius, L., Lundin, M., Fjälling, A., and Königson, S. (2018) Pontoon trap for salmon and trout equipped with a seal exclusion device catches larger salmons. PloS ONE Vol. 13

Hedgärde, M., Willestofte Berg, C., Kindt-Larsen, L., Lunneryd, S-G., Königson, S (2017) Explaining the catch efficiency of different cod pots using underwater video to observe cod entry and exit behaviour. Journal of Ocean Techknowodgy Vol. 11 No 4.

Stavenow, J., Ljungberg, P., Kindt-Larsen, L., Lunneryd, S-G., Königson, S. (2017) What attracts Baltic Sea Grey seals to seal-safe cod pots and when do they attempt to attack fish in pots? Journal of Ocean Technology Vol. 11 No 4.ing statistical analyses and 

Ljungberg, P., Lunneryd, S-G., Lövgren, J. and Königson, S. (2017) Including cod (Gadus Morhua) behavioral analysis to evaluate entrance behavioural analysis to evaluate entrance type dependent pot catches in the Baltic Sea. Journal of Ocean Techknowodgy Vol. 11 No 4. 

Königson, S., Lövgren, J., Ovegård, M., Ljunghager, F., and Lunneryd S.G. 2015. Seal exclusion devices in cod pots prevent seal bycatch and affect their catchability of cod. Fisheries Research, 167, 114-122

Königson, S., Fredriksson, R., Bergström, Lunneryd, S.G U., and Strömberg, P., 2015. Cod pots in the Baltic. Are they efficient and what affects thei efficiency? ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil, 72, 1545-1554

Königson,S., Fjälling, A., Berglind, M., and Lunneryd, S-G. 2013. Male grey seals specialize in raiding salmon traps. Vol. 148, 117–123

Königson, S., and Lunneryd, S.G. 2013. Development of alternative fishing gear in the Swedish small-scale coastal fisheries. Submitted to: Proceedings to the International Conference on Progress in Marine Conservation in Europe 2012

Bryhn, A., Königson, S., Lunneryd, S.G., and Bergenius, M. 2013. Visual stimuli affecting the catch efficiency of floating cod (Gadus morhua) pots in the Baltic Sea. Fisheries Research, 157, 187-192

Lundström, K., Lunneryd, S-G., Königson, S., and Hemmingsson, M. 2011.        Interactions between harbour seals and coastal fisheries along the Swedish west coast: an overview. Nammco Scientific Publications. Vol. 8, 329-340

Königson, S. 2011. Seals and fisheries, A study of the conflict and some possible solutions, Ph D thesis at the University of Gothenburg.

Ovegård, M., Königson, S.,  Persson, A., and Lunneryd, S-G. 2010. Effects of escape windows on the capture of cod in floating pots. Fisheries Research, 107, 239-244.

Königson, S., Lunneryd, S-G., Stridh, H. and Sundqvist, F. 2009. Grey Seal Predation in Cod Gillnet Fisheries in the Central Baltic Sea. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci., Vol. 42

Königson S, Lundström, K., Hemmingsson, M., Lunneryd S.G and Westerberg, H. 2006. Feeding Preferences of Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) Specialised in Raiding Fishing Gear. Aquatic Mammals 2006, 32, 2, 152-156

Königson S, Fjälling A and Lunneryd S.G. 2005. Impact of grey seals in the herring gillnet fishery along the Swedish Baltic coast. CM to ICES Annual Science Conference, Aberdeen

Königson S, Fjälling A and Lunneryd S.G. 2007. Grey seal induced catch losses in the herring gillnet fisheries in the Northern Baltic. In. Nammco Scientific Publications Vol. 1, 203-213

Königson S, Hemmingsson M, Lundström K and Lunneryd S.G. 2007. Seals and fyke nets: an investigation of the problem and its possible solution. Marine Biology Research 2007:1

Königson, S. 2007. Seal behaviour around fishing gear and its impact on Swedish fisheries. Licentiat thesis for the Department of Marine Ecology, Göteborg University

Königson S, Fjälling A and Lunneryd S.G. 2002. Reactions in individual fish to strobe light. Field and aquarium experiments performed on whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus). Journal of Hydrobiologia Vol. 483, 39-44

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