5.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

5.1 Swordfish
5.2 Atlantic Billfish
5.3 Atlantic Tunas
5.4 Atlantic Sharks
5.5 Other Finfish
5.6 Marine Mammals
5.7 Sea Turtles
5.8 Seabirds

4.0 SOCIAL IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS

Mandates to conduct social impact assessments come from both NEPA and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the interactions of natural and human environments by using a "systematic, interdisciplinary approach which will ensure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences...in planning and decision-making" [NEPA section 102(2)(a)]. Moreover, agencies need to address the aesthetic, historic, cultural, economic, social, or health effects which may be direct, indirect, or cumulative. Consideration of social impacts is a growing concern as fisheries experience increased participation and/or declines in stocks. With an increasing need for management action, the consequence of such changes need to be examined in order to mitigate the negative impacts experienced by the populations concerned.

Social impacts are generally the consequences to human populations that follow from some type of public or private action. Those consequences may include alterations to the ways in which people live, work or play, relate to one another, and organize to meet their needs. In addition, cultural impacts which may involve changes in values and beliefs which affect people's way of identifying themselves within their occupation, communities, and society in general are included under this interpretation. Social impact analyses help determine the consequences of policy action in advance by comparing no action with the projected impacts.

Pending the collection of quantitative information concerning the views of HMS fishermen, qualitative data can be used to provide a rough estimate of some impacts. Section 9 provides a description of the social impacts of the final actions. Additional information regarding the social impacts of each alternative can be found in section 7.

5.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

United States HMS fishermen encounter many species of fish; some of those are marketable, others are discarded for economic or regulatory reasons. Species frequently encountered are swordfish, tunas, and sharks, as well as billfish, dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel, and other finfish species. Sometimes HMS fishermen also catch sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds, known collectively as "protected" species. All of these species are federally managed, and NOAA Fisheries seeks to control the mortality that results from fishing effort. Detailed descriptions of those species are given in the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks (NOAA Fisheries, 1999b) and are summarized and updated here. Management of declining fish populations requires decreasing fishing mortality from both directed and incidental fishing. The status of the stocks of concern is summarized below, as a further reason for reducing bycatch and incidental catch in the HMS fisheries.

5.1 Swordfish

Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are large migratory predators that range from Canada to Argentina in the West Atlantic Ocean. Swordfish live to be more than 25 years old, and reach a maximum size of about 902 lb dressed weight (dw). Females mature between ages 2 and 8 with 50 percent mature at age 5 at a weight of about 113 lb dw. Males mature between ages 2 and 6 with 50 percent mature at age 3 at a weight of about 53 lb dw (Arocha, 1997). Large swordfish are all females; males seldom exceed 150 lb dw. Swordfish are distributed globally in tropical and subtropical marine waters. Their broad distribution, large spawning area, and prolific nature have contributed to the resilience of the species in spite of the heavy fishing pressure being exerted on it by many nations. During their annual migration, north Atlantic swordfish follow the major currents which circle the north Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf Stream, Canary and North Equatorial Currents) and the currents of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The primary habitat in the western north Atlantic is the Gulf Stream, which flows northeasterly along the U.S. coast, then turns eastward across the Grand Banks. North-south movement along the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada is significant (SAFMC, 1990).

In 2000, the estimated amount of U.S. vessel landings and dead discards of swordfish was 3,460 metric tons (MT). This level corresponds to approximately a 2 percent decrease from the 3,548 MT landed and discarded dead in 1999 NOAA Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries, 2002). U.S. swordfish landings are monitored in-season from reports submitted by dealers, vessel owners and vessel operators, NOAA Fisheries port agents, and mandatory daily logbook reports submitted by U.S. vessels permitted to fish for swordfish. Starting in 1992, this fishery has been monitored via a scientific observer sampling program that strives to observe approximately 5 percent of the longline fleet-wide fishing effort. This serves as a mechanism to observe amounts of bycatch and to verify logbook data.

5.2 Atlantic Billfish

Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) and sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) are highly migratory billfish that are widely distributed over the Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico). They are opportunistic feeders, feeding primarily on fish and squid. Marlins, in addition to sailfish and longbill spearfish, are bycatch in the Atlantic pelagic longline and shark gillnet fisheries and they can not be taken commercially. The Billfish FMP Amendment provides more detailed background information regarding the life history strategies of Atlantic billfish, including age and growth, reproduction, movement pattern, influence of physical oceanographic features, essential fish habitat, and other information.

In 2000, the preliminary estimates of the recreational catches for these billfish species in the combined areas of the Gulf of Mexico, the northwestern Atlantic Ocean west of 60^o W longitude, and the Caribbean Sea are: 24.1 MT for blue marlin, 0.2 MT for white marlin, and 2.0 MT for sailfish (NOAA Fisheries, 2001b). These estimates of the recreational catch do not include any estimates of mortality of released fish. In addition to this, some components of the charter boat and non-tournament recreational fishery are not surveyed, such that the recreational catches are considered minimum estimates. The 2000 estimates of the level of the billfish bycatch discarded dead by the U.S. commercial longline and other commercial fisheries are: 59.6 MT of blue marlin, 40.8 MT of white marlin, and 45.4 MT of sailfish (NOAA Fisheries, 2002).

5.3 Atlantic Tunas

Tunas are highly migratory fish found in many of the world's tropical, subtropical, and temperate ocean regions. Bluefin (Thunnus thynnus), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) tunas are widely distributed throughout the Atlantic, while yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacores) are considered to be a more tropical species. Bluefin tuna mature at approximately age 8 or later (60 inches curved fork length (CFL)), while yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore tunas mature at a smaller size. Smaller yellowfin tuna form mixed schools with skipjack tuna and juvenile bigeye tuna and are mainly limited to surface waters, while larger yellowfin tuna are found in surface and sub-surface waters. Bigeye tuna inhabit waters deeper than those of any other tuna species and undertake extensive vertical movements. Albacore tuna tend to inhabit deeper waters, except when young. Many of these tunas are opportunistic feeders, eating mainly fish and squid (SCRS, 1999). Commercial and recreational fishermen from numerous countries participate in fisheries for several species of Atlantic tuna.

The estimated U.S. vessel landings and dead discards of tuna species in commercial and recreational HMS fisheries for 2000 are in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1 Estimated U.S. vessel landings in metric tons of tuna species in commercial and recreational HMS fisheries in 2000. Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2002.

Gear	Albacore	Bigeye	Bluefin	Skipjack	Yellowfin
Commercial Handgear (Handline, Harpoon, Rod and Reel, Troll) (varies depending on species)	7.9	5.7	766.7	9.7	283.7
Pelagic Longline	147.4	531.9	66.1	1.8	2,901.1
Purse Seine	0	0	275.2	0	0
Recreational Handgear (Rod and Reel)	250.8	34.4	50.4	29.8	3,861.8
Total	406.1	572	1,158.4	41.3	7,046.6

5.4 Atlantic Sharks

Atlantic sharks are managed in several species groups. Many shark species make extensive migrations along the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Species in the large coastal sharks (LCS) group are the main commercial species and are targeted with bottom longline gear. Sandbar and blacktip sharks make up approximately 60 to 75 percent of the bottom longline catch and approximately 75 to 95 percent of the bottom longline landings (GSAFDF, 1996). The remainder of the bottom longline catch is comprised mostly of bull, bignose, tiger, sand tiger, lemon, spinner, scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead sharks, with catch composition varying by region. These species are less marketable and are often released, so they are reflected in the overall catch but not the landings. Several LCS can also be caught by pelagic longline gear: silky, dusky, sandbar, and hammerhead sharks. The shark gillnet fishery catches several large coastal species including blacktip (targeted and retained), and scalloped hammerhead (discarded). To a lesser extent, sandbar, bull, spinner, tiger, lemon, and silky sharks are caught and retained in the shark gillnet fishery.

Pelagic sharks including shortfin mako, porbeagle, common thresher, and blue sharks are commonly taken in the pelagic longline fishery. Longfin mako, sixgill, bigeye sixgill, and sevengill sharks are occasionally or rarely taken. Pelagic sharks are also sometimes encountered incidentally in the shark gillnet fishery (e.g., thresher sharks, mostly discarded) and bottom longline fishery. Trans-Atlantic migrations of these sharks are common; they are taken in several international fisheries outside the U.S. EEZ.

Small coastal sharks are targeted in localized fisheries in the southern United States, caught incidentally in other commercial fisheries, and are commonly used for bait. The species caught predominantly in the shark gillnet fishing season include Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, finetooth, and blacknose sharks (all retained). Discarded species include sharpnose sharks during LCS closures. Small coastal sharks are also commonly encountered in recreational fisheries in the southern United States. NOAA Fisheries recently conducted a stock assessment for SCS and found that SCS populations can sustain the present removal levels (Cortes 2002).

Compared to other finfish, sharks have low reproductive rates which make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. Because LCS are overfished, SCS are fully fished, and the status of pelagic sharks is unknown at this time, NOAA Fisheries seeks to minimize bycatch in any fishery which encounters them. Additional information can be found in the HMS FMP (NOAA Fisheries, 1999b) and 2002 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report (NOAA Fisheries, 2002).

5.5 Other Finfish

Dolphin (Coryphaena hippurus) are fast-swimming, pelagic, migratory, and predatory fish found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are short-lived and fast growing. These traits allow the stock to support high fishing mortality rates. Also referred to as mahi-mahi, these fish are sold by commercial fishermen (driftnet and pelagic longline) and are targeted by recreational fishermen along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

Wahoo (Acanthocybium solanderia) are large pelagic fish found throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The life history of wahoo is largely unknown, although they are a fast-growing species similar to dolphin. These fish are also landed both recreationally and commercially, although encounter rates seem to be lower than those for dolphin.

Drum (Sciaenid spp.) may not be retained by shark gillnet fishermen and are discarded dead in small numbers. Tarpon are also discarded dead in small numbers as they have no market value. There are valuable redfish and tarpon recreational fisheries in both Georgia and Florida. NOAA Fisheries seeks to minimize bycatch, to the extent practicable, in all fisheries. Cobia, king mackerel, barracuda and spanish mackerel are also caught in these nets and are retained for sale.

5.6 Marine Mammals

NOAA Fisheries published the final 2001 Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) List of Fisheries on August 15, 2001 (66 FR 42780). On January 17, 2002 (67 FR 2410), NOAA Fisheries published a notice that the 2001 List of Fisheries remains in effect for 2002. The Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline fishery is classified as Category I (frequent serious injuries and mortalities incidental to commercial fishing) and the southeastern Atlantic shark gillnet fishery is classified as Category II (occasional serious injuries and mortalities). The following fisheries are classified as Category III (remote likelihood or no known serious injuries or mortalities): Atlantic tuna purse seine; Gulf of Maine and mid Atlantic tuna, swordfish, and shark hook-and-line/harpoon, southeastern mid Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shark bottom longline, and mid Atlantic, southeastern Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico pelagic hook-and-line/harpoon fisheries.

In accordance with the MMPA, NOAA Fisheries published draft stock assessment reports for Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico marine mammals. These species are sometimes hooked on pelagic longline gear and fishermen report takes of mammals to NOAA Fisheries in a marine mammal logbook. In 2000, there were 14 observed takes of marine mammals by pelagic longlines. This number has been extrapolated out to an estimated 403 mammals fleet-wide (32 common dolphin, 93 Risso's dolphin, 231 pilot whale, 19 whale, 29 pygmy sperm whale) (Yeung, 2001). In addition to mammals released dead from fishing gear, which is uncommon in the pelagic longline fishery, NOAA Fisheries must consider post-release mortality of mammals released alive. The bottom longline fishery has been observed to interact with one delphinid between 1994 and 2001 and the shark gillnet fishery interacted with 4 bottlenose dolphins and 3 spinner dolphins in 2001.

5.7 Sea Turtles

The following represents a summary of the information found in the June 14, 2001, BiOp. For more detailed information, please see that document. The status of Atlantic sea turtles can be found in Table 5.2.

Table 5.2. Status of Atlantic sea turtle populations: Species taken in HMS fisheries 1992-1997. Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2001a.

Species/Stock	Status: trend in U.S. nesting population
Loggerhead: Northern sub-population	Threatened: stable or declining
Leatherback	Endangered: loss of some nesting populations, otherwise stable
Green	Endangered: increasing
Kemp's Ridley	Endangered: thought to be increasing
Hawksbill	Endangered: unknown if there is a recent trend

Loggerhead sea turtles

The loggerhead sea turtles in the action area (west Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico) represent differing proportions of five western north Atlantic subpopulations, as well as unidentified subpopulations from the eastern Atlantic. The June 14, 2001, BiOp considers these subpopulations for the analysis, with particular emphasis on the northern subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerheads reported captured in the pelagic longline fishery in the open ocean are mostly pelagic juveniles, with approximately 19 percent of the captured turtles expected to be from the northern subpopulation.

In examining the nesting trend for the northern subpopulation, the turtle expert working group (TEWG) concluded that it is stable or declining (1998, 2000). The analysis described in the NOAA Fisheries SEFSC 2001 stock assessment report summarized the trend analyses for the number of nests sampled from beaches for the northern subpopulation and the south Florida subpopulation and concluded that from 1978-1990, the northern subpopulation has been stable at best and possibly declining (less than 5 percent per year). From 1990 to the present, the number of nests in the northern subpopulation has been increasing at 2.8-2.9 percent annually; however, there are confidence intervals about these estimates that include no growth (0 percent). Over the same time frame, the south Florida population has been increasing at 5.3-5.4 percent per year from 1978-1990, and increasing at 3.9-4.2 percent since 1990. However, NOAA Fisheries SEFSC (2001) cautions that "it is an unweighted analysis and does not consider the beaches' relative contribution to the total nesting activity of the subpopulation and must be interpreted with some caution." Furthermore, although the analysis was limited to data from beaches where the effort was believed to have been relatively constant over time, this assumption of consistent effort may not always be true.

The southeast population of loggerhead turtles appears to be increasing in size, although they are still considered at risk. These animals are protected by ESA and NOAA Fisheries has recently enacted additional measures to restrict commercial fishing to reduce interactions, including gear requirements and a closed area applicable to the pelagic longline fishery.

Table 5.3 Annual estimates of total marine turtle bycatch and the subset that were dead when released in the U.S. pelagic longline fishery. Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2001a.

Species	Loggerhead		Leatherback		Green		Hawksbill		Kemp's Ridley		Unidentified		Sum Total
Year	Total	Dead*	Total	Dead*	Total	Dead*	Total	Dead*	Total	Dead*	Total	Dead*	Sum Total
1992	293	0	914	88	87	30	20	0	1	0	26	0	1,341
1993	417	9	1,054	0	31	0					31	0	1,533
1994	1,344	31	837	0	33	0			26	0	34	0	2,274
1995	2,439	0	934	0	40	0					171	0	3,584
1996	917	2	904	0	16	2					2	0	1,839
1997	384	0	308	0			16	0	22	0	47	0	777
1998	1,106	1	400	0	14	1	17	0			1	0	1,538
1999	991	23	1,012	0							66	0	2,069
Total	7,891	66	6,363	88	221	33	53	0	49	0	378	0	14,955
* Does not account for fishing related mortality that may occur after release.

Loggerhead sea turtles are primarily exposed to pelagic longline gear in the pelagic juvenile stage. According to observer records, an estimated 7,891 loggerhead sea turtles were caught by the U.S. Atlantic tuna and swordfish longline fisheries between 1992-1999, of which 66 were estimated to be released dead (Table 5.3). However, the U.S. fleet accounts for a small proportion (5-8 percent) of the total hooks fished in the Atlantic Ocean compared to other nations, including Taipei, Brazil, Trinidad, Morocco, Cyprus, Venezuela, Korea, Mexico, Cuba, U.K., Bermuda, People's Republic of China, Grenada, Canada, Belize, France, and Ireland (Carocci and Majkowski, 1998). Reports of incidental takes of turtles are incomplete for many of these nations (see NOAA Fisheries SEFSC 2001 for a complete description of take records). Projections based on known takes for the 23 actively fishing countries, after accounting for the unobserved fraction, likely result in an estimate of thousands of animals annually over different life stages.

In the shark gillnet fishery, turtles are rarely caught. During the 1999 right whale calving season⁽¹⁾ no turtles were caught in this fishery (Carlson and Lee, 1999). In the 2000 right whale calving season, no turtles were caught in gillnets fished in a strikenet method and one loggerhead sea turtle was caught in gillnets fished in a driftnet method (Carlson, 2000). In the 2001 right whale calving season, no turtles were caught in gillnets fished in a strikenet method and 14 leatherback sea turtles, one loggerhead sea turtle, and one hawksbill sea turtle were caught in gillnets fished in a driftnet method (Carlson, 2001). Two of the leatherback sea turtles were released dead. During this season, observers also noted high densities of jellyfish, a prey source for leatherback turtles, in the area. During the 2000 and 2001 non-right whale calving seasons, no turtles were observed caught in gillnets fished in a strikenet method and one loggerhead sea turtle was observed caught and released alive in gillnets fished in a driftnet method (Carlson and Baremore, 2001).

In the bottom longline fishery a total of 37 sea turtles have been observed from 1994 through 2001 (G. Burgess, pers. comm., 2001). Of these 37 observed sea turtles, 26 were loggerhead turtles (18 released alive, 6 released dead, and 2 released in an unknown condition) and 4 were leatherback turtles (1 released alive, 1 released dead, and 2 released condition unknown. An additional seven unidentified species of sea turtle have been observed caught, with one released alive, one released dead, and five released condition unknown.

Leatherback sea turtles

Female leatherback sea turtles nest from southeastern United States to southern Brazil in the western Atlantic and from Mauritania to Angola in the eastern Atlantic. The most significant nesting beaches in the Atlantic, and perhaps in the world, are in French Guiana and Surinam (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). When they leave the nesting beaches, leatherback sea turtles move offshore but eventually utilize both coastal and pelagic waters. The leatherback is the largest living turtle and it ranges farther than any other sea turtle species, exhibiting broad thermal tolerances (NOAA Fisheries and USFWS, 1995). Leatherback sea turtles feed primarily on cnidarians (medusae, siphonophores) and tunicates (salps, pyrosomas) and are often found in association with jellyfish.

The conflicting information regarding the status of Atlantic leatherback sea turtles makes it difficult to conclude whether or not the population is currently in decline. Numbers at some nesting sites are up, while numbers at others are down. Data collected in southeast Florida clearly indicate increasing numbers of nests for the past twenty years (9.1-11.5 percent increase), although it is critical to note that there was also an increase in the survey area in Florida over time (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). The largest leatherback rookery in the western north Atlantic remains along the northern coast of South America in French Guiana and Suriname. While Spotila et al. (1996) indicated that turtles may have been shifting their nesting from French Guiana to Suriname due to beach erosion, analyses show that the overall area trend in number of nests has been negative since 1987, declining at a rate of 15.0 - 17.3 percent per year (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). If turtles are not nesting elsewhere, it appears that the Western Atlantic portion of the population is being subjected to high anthropogenic mortality rates, resulting in a continued decline in numbers of nesting females.

Leatherback sea turtles are exposed to pelagic fisheries throughout their life cycle. According to observer records, an estimated 6,363 leatherback sea turtles were caught by the U.S. Atlantic tuna and swordfish longline fisheries between 1992-1999, of which 88 were released dead (Table 5.3) (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). Leatherback sea turtles make up a significant portion of takes in the Gulf of Mexico and south Atlantic areas, but are more often released alive. The U.S. fleet accounts for five to eight percent of the hooks fished in the Atlantic Ocean. Other nations, including Taipei, Brazil, Trinidad, Morocco, Cyprus, Venezuela, Korea, Mexico, Cuba, U.K., Bermuda, People's Republic of China, Grenada, Canada, Belize, France, and Ireland also fish in these waters (Carocci and Majkowski, 1998). Reports of incidental takes of turtles are incomplete for many of these nations (see NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001, for a complete description of take records). Projections based on known takes from the 23 actively fishing countries, after accounting for the unobserved fraction, likely result in estimates of thousands of leatherback sea turtles annually over different life stages.

During the 2001 right whale calving season, the shark gillnet fishery interacted with 14 leatherback turtles. Mortalities were observed for two of the leatherback turtles and two of them were released condition unknown (Carlson, 2001). Observers also noted high densities of jellyfish, a prey source for leatherback turtles, in the area.

5.8 Seabirds

Seabirds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; endangered seabirds are further protected under the Endangered Species Act; and all migratory birds are protected under E.O. 13186. The United States has developed a National Plan of Action in response to the Food and Agriculture Organization International Plan of Action to Reduce Incidental Seabird Takes in Longline Fisheries. Many seabird populations are especially slow to recover from mortality because their reproductive potential is low (one egg per year and late sexual maturation). They forage on the surface but can also pursue prey fish swimming at shallow depths which makes seabirds somewhat susceptible to driftnets, shallow set longlines, and longline gear being deployed. They are possibly at the highest risk during the process of setting and hauling the gear. Observer data for the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery from 1992 through 2001 indicate that bycatch is relatively low (Table 5.4). Since 1992, a total of 92 seabird interactions have been observed, with 67 seabirds observed killed in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. No expanded estimates of seabird bycatch or catch rates are available for the pelagic longline fishery. Observed bycatch has ranged from 1 to 18 seabirds observed dead per year and 0 to 15 seabirds observed released alive per year from 1992 through 2001.

Table 5.4 Seabird Bycatch in the Atlantic Pelagic Longline Fishery from 1992 to 2001. MAB - Mid Atlantic Bight, SAB - South Atlantic Bight, NEC - Northeast Coastal, GOM - Gulf of Mexico. Source: NOAA Fisheries Observer Program.

Year	Month	Area	Type of Bird	Number observed	Status
1992	October	MAB	Gull	4	Dead
1992	October	MAB	Shearwater, Greater	2	Dead
1993	February	SAB	Gannet, Northern	2	Alive
	February	MAB	Gannet, Northern	2	Alive
	February	MAB	Gull, Black Backed	1	Alive
	February	MAB	Gull, Black Backed	3	Dead
	November	MAB	Gull	1	Alive
1994	June	MAB	Shearwater, Greater	3	Dead
	August	MAB	Shearwater, Greater	1	Dead
	November	MAB	Gull	4	Dead
	December	MAB	Gull, Herring	7	Dead
1995	July	MAB	Seabird	5	Dead
	August	GOM	Seabird	1	Dead
	October	MAB	Storm Petrel	1	Dead
	November	NEC	Gannet, Northern	2	Alive
	November	NEC	Gull	1	Alive
1997	June	SAB	Seabird	11	Dead
	July	MAB	Seabird	1	Dead
	July	NEC	Seabird	15	Alive
	July	NEC	Seabird	6	Dead
1998	February	MAB	Seabird	7	Dead
1998	July	NEC	Seabird	1	Dead
1999	June	SAB	Seabird	1	Dead
2000	June	SAB	Gull, Laughing	1	Alive
2000	November	NEC	Gannet, Northern	1	Dead
2001	June	NEC	Shearwater, Greater	7	Dead
2001	July	NEC	Shearwater, Greater	1	Dead

In the Atlantic bottom longline shark fishery, one pelican has been observed killed from 1994 through 2001. The pelican was caught in January 1995 off the Florida Gulf Coast (between 25 18.68 N, 81 35.47 W and 25 19.11 N, 81 23.83 W) (G. Burgess, pers. comm., 2001). No expanded estimates of seabird bycatch or catch rates are available for the bottom longline fishery.

NOAA Fisheries has not identified a need to implement gear modifications to reduce takes of seabirds in Atlantic HMS longline fisheries. Takes of seabirds are minimal in these fisheries in the Atlantic, probably due to night setting of the longlines or fishing in areas where there are not significant numbers of birds. Interested readers can refer to Alexander et al., 1997, for additional possibilities of mitigating measures for seabird mortality in longline fisheries.

1. 100 percent observer coverage is required during right whale calving season (November 15 through March 15).