6.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ATLANTIC HMS FISHERIES

6.1 Pelagic Longline Fishery
6.1.1 Pelagic Longline Catch and Discard Patterns
6.1.2 U.S. Catch in Relation to International Catch of Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
6.1.3 Regional U.S. Pelagic Longline Fisheries Description
6.1.4 Experimental Fishery
6.1.5 Management of the Fishery
6.2 Shark Bottom Longline Fishery
6.2.1 Bottom Longline Catch and Bycatch
6.2.2 Management of Fishery
6.3 Shark Gillnet Fishery Description
6.3.1 Drift Gillnet and Strikenet Catch and Bycatch
6.3.2 Management of the Fishery
6.4 Commercial Handgear Fishery
6.4.1 Most Recent Catch and Landings Data
6.4.2 Bycatch Issues and Data Associated with the Fishery
6.4.3 Management of the Fishery
6.5 Recreational Handgear Fishery
6.5.1 Most Recent Catch and Landings Data
6.5.2 Bycatch Issues and Data Associated with the Fishery
6.5.3 Management of the Fishery

 

6.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ATLANTIC HMS FISHERIES


The HMS FMP provides a thorough description of the U.S. fisheries for Atlantic HMS. Below is specific information regarding the pelagic longline, bottom longline, shark gillnet, and handgear fisheries. As the final rule impacts these fisheries most directly, it is necessary to examine each fully.

6.1 Pelagic Longline Fishery

The U.S. pelagic longline fishery for Atlantic HMS primarily targets swordfish, yellowfin tuna, or bigeye tuna in various areas and seasons. Secondary target species include dolphin; albacore tuna; pelagic sharks including mako, thresher, and porbeagle sharks; as well as several species of large coastal sharks. Although this gear can be modified (i.e., depth of set, hook type, etc.) to target swordfish, tunas, or sharks, it is generally a multi-species fishery. These vessel operators are opportunistic, switching gear style and making subtle changes to target the best available economic opportunity of each individual trip. Longline gear sometimes attracts and hooks non-target finfish with no commercial value, as well as species that cannot be retained by commercial fishermen due to regulations, such as billfish. Pelagic longlines may also interact with protected species such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds. Thus, this gear has been classified as a Category I fishery with respect to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Any species (or undersized catch of permitted species) that cannot be landed due to fishery regulations is required to be released, whether dead or alive.

Figure 6.1 Typical U.S. pelagic longline gear.


Figure 6.1 Typical U.S. pelagic longline gear. Source Arocha 1996


Pelagic longline gear is composed of several parts (see Figure 6.1 (1)). The primary fishing line, or mainline of the longline system, can vary from five to 40 miles in length, with approximately 20 to 30 hooks per mile. The depth of the mainline is determined by ocean currents and the length of the floatline, which connects the mainline to several buoys and periodic markers which can have radar reflectors or radio beacons attached. Each individual hook is connected by a leader to the mainline. Lightsticks, which contain chemicals that emit a glowing light are often used, particularly when targeting swordfish. When attached to the hook and suspended at a certain depth, lightsticks attract bait fish which may, in turn, attract pelagic predators.

When targeting swordfish, the lines generally are deployed at sunset and hauled at sunrise to take advantage of swordfish nocturnal near-surface feeding habits (Berkeley et al., 1981). In general, longlines targeting tunas are set in the morning, deeper in the water column, and hauled in the evening. Except for vessels of the distant water fleet which undertake extended trips, fishing vessels preferentially target swordfish during periods when the moon is full to take advantage of increased densities of pelagic species near the surface. The number of hooks per set varies with line configuration and target catch (Table 6.1).

Table 6.1 Average Number of Hooks per pelagic longline set, 1995-2000. Source: Data reported in pelagic longline logbook.

Target Species 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Swordfish 539 529 550 563 521 550
Bigeye Tuna 752 764 729 688 768 454
Yellowfin Tuna 721 679 647 685 741 772
Mix of tuna species NA NA NA NA NA 638
Shark 654 531 540 706 613 621
Dolphin NA NA NA NA NA 943
Other species 231 79 460 492 781 504
Mix of species 658 695 713 726 738 694



Figure 6.2 illustrates the difference between swordfish (shallow) sets and tuna (deep) longline sets. Swordfish sets are buoyed to the surface, have few hooks between floats, and are relatively shallow. This same type of gear arrangement is used for mixed target sets. Tuna sets use a different type of float placed much further apart. Compared with swordfish sets, tuna sets have more hooks between the floats and the hooks are set much deeper in the water column. It is believed that because of the difference in fishing depth, tuna sets hook less turtles than the swordfish sets. The hook types are also different for each target species. Swordfish sets generally use "J" hooks and tuna sets use "tuna" hooks, which are more curved than "J" hooks. In addition, tuna sets use bait only, while swordfish fishing uses a combination of bait and lightsticks. Compared with vessels targeting swordfish or mixed species, vessels targeting tuna typically are smaller and fish different grounds.
Figure 6.2 Different longline gear deployment techniques. Source Hawaii Longline Association and Honolulu Advertiser

Figure 6.2 Different longline gear deployment techniques. Source Hawaii Longline Association and Honolulu Advertiser

6.1.1 Pelagic Longline Catch and Discard Patterns


The pelagic longline fishery sector is comprised of five relatively distinct segments with different fishing practices and strategies, including the Gulf of Mexico yellowfin tuna fishery, the south Atlantic-Florida east coast to Cape Hatteras swordfish fishery, the mid-Atlantic and New England swordfish and bigeye tuna fishery, the U.S. distant water swordfish fishery, and the Caribbean Islands tuna and swordfish fishery. Each vessel type has different range capabilities due to fuel capacity, hold capacity, size, and construction. In addition to geographical area, segments differ by percentage of various target and non-target species, gear characteristics, bait, and deployment techniques. Some vessels fish in more than one fishery segment during the course of the year. Pelagic longline catch (including bycatch, incidental catch, and target catch) is largely related to these vessel and gear characteristics but is summarized for the whole fishery in Table 6.2.

Table 6.2 Reported catch of species caught by U.S. Atlantic pelagic longlines, in number of fish 1995-2000. Reported in pelagic longline logbook.

Species 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Swordfish Kept 72,788 73,111 68,274 68,345 64,370 60,101
Swordfish Discarded 29,789 23,831 20,613 22,579 20,066 16,711
Blue Marlin Discarded 3,091 3,310 2,614 1,291 1,248 1,392
White Marlin Discarded 3,432 2,924 2,812 1,490 1,971 1,237
Sailfish Discarded 1,195 1,443 1,766 827 1,404 1,086
Spearfish Discarded 445 553 390 105 156 79
Bluefin Tuna Kept 239 209 180 206 239 232
Bluefin Tuna Discarded 2,852 1,709 688 1,304 601 737
Bigeye, Albacore, Yellowfin, Skipjack Tunas Kept 16,611 6,876 9,077 8,797 9,695 9,199
Pelagic Sharks Kept 5,885 5,270 5,134 3,624 2,705 2,932
Pelagic Sharks Discarded 90,173 84,330 82,220 44,000 28,910 26,281
Large Coastal Sharks Kept 57,676 36,022 21,382 8,742 1,025 7,752
Large Coastal Sharks Discarded 11,013 10,403 8,243 5,908 5,774 6,800
Dolphin Kept 72,463 35,888 62,811 21,864 29,902 28,095
Wahoo Kept 4,976 3,635 4,570 4,303 4,112 3,887
Turtles Discarded 1,142 498 267 885 627 270
Number of Hooks (X 1,000) 11,064 10,657 9,861 7,676 7,488 7,570


Marine Mammals

Of the marine mammals that are hooked by pelagic longline fishermen, many are released alive, although some animals suffer serious injuries and may die after being released. Mammals are caught primarily from June through December in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Northeast Coastal areas (see Figure 6.3). In the past, the incidental catch rate was highest, on average, in the third quarter (July - September) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. In 2000, there were 14 observed takes of marine mammals by pelagic longlines. This number has been extrapolated based on reported fishing effort 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). Incidental catch of pilot whales in pelagic longlines is thought to result from pilot whales preying on tuna that have been caught on the gear.



Different longline gear deployment techniques. Source Hawaii Longline Association and Honolulu Advertiser

Sea Turtles



Many sea turtles are taken in the Northeast Coastal and Northeast Distant areas (Figure 6.3) and most are released alive. In the past, the bycatch rate was highest in the third and fourth quarters. Loggerhead and leatherback turtles dominate the catch of turtles. In general, sea turtle captures are rare, but takes appear to be clustered (Hoey and Moore, 1999).

Figure 6.3 Geographic areas used in summaries of pelagic logbook data. Source Cramer and Adams 2000

6.1.2 U.S. Catch in Relation to International Catch of Atlantic Highly Migratory Species


The U.S. pelagic longline fleet targeting HMS in the Atlantic captures sea turtles at a rate estimated to average 986 loggerheads and 795 leatherbacks per year, based on observed takes and total reported effort from 1992 to 1999 (Table 5.3). Estimates for 2000 based on observed take and reported effort are 1256 loggerhead and 769 leatherback sea turtles (Yeung, 2001). Most of these takes occur on the high seas, rather than within the U.S. EEZ. The U.S. fleet is a small part of the international fleet that competes on the high seas for catches of tunas and swordfish. Although the U.S. fleet landed as much as 35 percent of the swordfish from the north Atlantic, north of 5oN. latitude in 1990, this proportion decreased to 25 percent by 1997. For tunas, the U.S. proportion of landings was 23 percent in 1990, decreasing to 16 percent by 1997. The U.S. fleet accounts for none or virtually none of the landings of swordfish and tuna from the Atlantic Ocean, south of 5oN. latitude, and does not operate at all in the Mediterranean Sea. Tuna and swordfish landings by foreign fleets operating in the tropical Atlantic and Mediterranean are greater than the catches from the north Atlantic area where the U.S. fleet operates. Even within the area where U.S. fleet operates, the U.S. portion of fishing effort (in numbers of hooks fished) is less than 10 percent of the entire international fleet's effort, and likely less than that due to differences in reporting effort between ICCAT countries (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). Since other ICCAT nations do not monitor incidental catches of sea turtles, an exact assessment of their impact is not possible. High absolute numbers of sea turtle catches in the foreign fleets have been reported from other sources, however (NOAA Fisheries SEFSC, 2001). If the sea turtle catch rates of foreign fleets, per hook, or even per pound of swordfish landed, are similar to the catch rates of the American fleet, then the American fleet may represent less than one-tenth and certainly no more than one-third of the total catch and mortality of sea turtles in north Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries.

Table 6.3 Estimated international longline landings of HMS, other than sharks, for all countries in the Atlantic: 1996-2000 (mt ww)*. Source: SCRS, 2001.

Species 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Swordfish (N.Atl + S. Atl) 31,331 30,302 24,376 25,308 23,796
Yellowfin Tuna (W. Atl)** 8,631 8,724 8,716 11,981 9,842
Bigeye Tuna 74,876 68,227 71,811 78,886 70,049
Bluefin Tuna (W. Atl.)** 528 382 764 914 589
Albacore Tuna (N. Atl + S. Atl) 25,092 23,490 23,573 27,203 28,221
Skipjack Tuna 26 65 99 49 28
Blue Marlin (N. Atl. + S. Atl.)*** 3,444 3,612 2,483 2,442 1,934
White Marlin (N. Atl. + S. Atl.)*** 1,237 974 884 954 798
Sailfish (W. Atl.)*** 252 188 251 191 219
Total 145,417 135,964 132,957 147,928 135,476
U.S. Longline Landings (from U.S. Natl. Report, 2001b)# 8,721.1 8,931.6 7,150.3 8,362.0 7,320.7
U.S. Longline as Percentage of Longline Total 6.0 6.6 5.4 5.6 5.4

* landings include those classified by the SCRS as longline landings for all areas

**Note that the U.S. has not reported participation in the E. Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery since 1983 and has not participated in the E. Atl bluefin tuna fishery since 1982.

***includes U.S. dead discards

# includes swordfish longline discards and bluefin tuna discards


Mortality in the domestic and foreign pelagic longline fisheries is just one of the numerous factors affecting sea turtle populations in the Atlantic (National Research Council, 1990). Many sources of anthropogenic mortality are outside of U.S. jurisdiction and control. If the U.S. swordfish quota was to be relinquished to other fishing nations, the effort now expended by the U.S. fleet would be replaced by foreign effort. This could significantly alter the U.S. position at ICCAT and make the implementation of international conservation efforts more difficult. This would also eliminate the option of gear or other experimentation with the U.S. longline fleet, thus making it difficult to find reduction solutions which could be transferred to other longlining nations to effect a greater global reduction in sea turtle takes in pelagic longline fisheries. NOAA Fisheries is not aware of any foreign fleets that are currently using any conservation measures, and in the absence of a domestic fishing fleet subject to turtle conservation measures, foreign vessels would likely increase their fishing effort and turtle mortality would likely increase.

6.1.3 Regional U.S. Pelagic Longline Fisheries Description

The Gulf of Mexico Yellowfin Tuna Fishery

These vessels primarily target yellowfin tuna year-round; however, each port has one to three vessels that directly target swordfish either seasonally or year-round. Longline fishing vessels that target yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico also catch and sell dolphin, swordfish, other tunas, and sharks. During yellowfin tuna fishing, few swordfish are captured incidentally. Many of these vessels participate in other Gulf of Mexico fisheries (targeting shrimp, shark, and snapper/grouper) during allowed seasons. Major home ports for this fishery include Panama City, FL; Destin, FL; Dulac, LA; and Venice, LA.

For catching tuna, the longline gear is configured similar to swordfish longline gear, however, it is deployed differently. The gear is typically set out at dawn (between 2 a.m. and noon) and retrieved at sunset (4 p.m. to midnight). The water temperature varies based on the location of fishing. However, yellowfin tuna are targeted in the western Gulf of Mexico during the summer when water temperatures are high. In the past, fishermen have used live bait, however, NOAA Fisheries has recently banned the use of live bait in an effort to decrease bycatch and bycatch mortality of billfish (August 1, 2000, 65 FR 47214). Bait used includes frozen squid, Japanese mackerel, and local finfish. Circle hooks are most commonly used.

Yellowfin tuna inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, prefer the upper 100 meters of the water column, and eat fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans, with a preference for squid. This species is extensively fished in the Intertropical Atlantic (45 N - 40 S) by many nations using purse seine, longline, handline, and baitboat.

The South Atlantic ~ Florida East Coast to Cape Hatteras Swordfish Fishery

These pelagic longline vessels used to target swordfish year-round although yellowfin tuna and dolphin fish were other important marketable components of the catch. In 2001 (August 1, 2000, 65 FR 47214), the Florida East Coast closed area (year-round closure) and the Charleston Bump closed area (February through April closure) became effective. NOAA Fisheries plans to analyze logbook data from 2001 to determine the effectiveness of these closed areas and to determine what adjustments have been made by the vessels that used to fish in these areas.

Smaller vessels used to fish shorter trips from the Florida Straits north to the bend in the Gulf Stream off Charleston, South Carolina (Charleston Bump). Mid-sized and larger vessels migrate seasonally on longer trips from the Yucatan Peninsula throughout the West Indies and Caribbean Sea and some trips range as far north as the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States to target bigeye tuna and swordfish during the late summer and fall. Fishing trips in this fishery average nine sets over 12 days. Major home ports (including seasonal ports) for this fishery include Georgetown, SC; Cherry Point, SC; Charleston, SC; Fort Pierce, FL; Pompano Beach, FL; Dania, FL; and Key West, FL. This sector of the fishery consists of small to mid-size vessels which typically sell fresh swordfish to local high-quality markets. "J" hooks are most commonly used in this fishery sector.

The Mid-Atlantic and New England Swordfish and Bigeye Tuna Fishery

This fishery has evolved during recent years to become an almost year-round fishery based on directed tuna trips, with substantial numbers of swordfish trips as well. Some vessels participate in the directed bigeye/yellowfin tuna fishery during the summer and fall months and then switch to bottom longline fisheries and/or shark fishing during the winter when the large coastal shark season is open. Fishing trips in this fishery sector average 12 sets over 18 days. During the season, vessels primarily offload in the major ports of Fairhaven, MA; Montauk, NY; Barnegat Light, NJ; Ocean City, MD; and Wanchese, NC.

Bigeye tuna inhabit tropical and subtropical waters (50N lat. and 45S lat.) and range in surface waters to depths of 250 meters, this species tends to swim the deepest of the tunas. Bigeye tuna feed day and night on a variety of fish species including cephalopods and crustaceans. This species is mostly caught on deep-water longlines for the fresh fish market, but is also caught by baitboat and purse seine as a secondary species by other nations. Bait used is typically frozen squid.

The U.S. Atlantic Distant Water Swordfish Fishery

This fleet's fishing grounds range virtually the entire span of the western north Atlantic to as far east as the Azores and the mid-Atlantic Ridge. About ten large fishing vessels operate out of mid-Atlantic and New England ports during the summer and fall months, and move to Caribbean ports during the winter and spring months. Many of the current distant water operations were among the early participants in the U.S. directed Atlantic commercial swordfish fishery. These larger vessels, with greater ranges and capacities than the coastal fishing vessels, enabled the United States to become a significant player in the north Atlantic fishery. They also fish for swordfish in the south Atlantic. The distant water vessels traditionally have been larger than their southeast counterparts because of the distances required to travel to the fishing grounds. Fishing trips in this fishery tend to be longer than in other fisheries, averaging 30 days and 16 sets. Principal ports for this fishery range from San Juan, PR through Portland, ME, and include Fairhaven, MA, and Barnegat Light, NJ. Bait used includes frozen squid and Boston mackerel. "J" hooks are most commonly used in this fishery sector. This segment of the fleet was directly affected by the L-shaped closure in 2000 and the NED closure in 2001.

The Caribbean Tuna and Swordfish Fishery

This fleet is similar to the southeast coastal fishing fleet in that both are comprised primarily of smaller vessels that make short trips relatively near-shore, producing high quality fresh product. Both fleets also encounter relatively high numbers of undersized swordfish at certain times of the year. Longline vessels targeting HMS in the Caribbean set fewer hooks per set, on average, fishing deeper in the water column than the distant water fleet off New England, the northeast coastal fleet, and the Gulf of Mexico yellowfin tuna fleet. This fishery is typical of most pelagic fisheries, being truly a multi-species fishery, with swordfish as a substantial portion of the total catch. Yellowfin tuna, dolphin and, to a lesser extent, bigeye tuna, are other important components of the landed catch. Principal ports are St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Island; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many of these high quality fresh fish are sold to local markets to support the tourist trade in the Caribbean. Bait used includes frozen squid.

Other Tunas

Other tunas, such as albacore, skipjack, and bonito are not targeted by longline fishermen in the Atlantic due to low market value but are often caught incidentally, landed and sold.


6.1.4 Experimental Fishery

Consistent with the BiOp, NOAA Fisheries initiated an experimental fishery in the NED area in consultation and cooperation with the domestic pelagic longline fleet. The goal is to develop and evaluate the efficacy of new technologies and changes in fishing practices to reduce sea turtle interactions. In 2001, the experiment attempted to evaluate the effect of gangions placed two gangion lengths from floatlines, the effect of blue-dyed bait on target catch and sea turtle interactions, and the effectiveness of dipnets, line clippers, and dehooking devices. Eight vessels participated, making 186 sets, between August and November. During the course of the experimental fishery, 142 loggerhead and 77 leatherback sea turtles were incidentally captured and no turtles were released dead.

The data gathered during the 2001 experiment were analyzed to determine if the tested measures reduced the incidental capture of sea turtles by a statistically significant amount. The blue-dyed bait parameter decreased the catch of loggerheads by 9.5 percent and increased the catch of leatherbacks by 45 percent. Neither value is statistically significant. In examining the gangion placement provision, the treatment sections of the gear (with gangions placed 20 fathoms from floatlines) did not display a statistically significant reduction in the number of loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle interactions than the control sections of the gear (with a gangion located under a floatline). The treatment section of the gear recorded an insignificant increase in the number of leatherback interactions.

The dipnets and line clippers were examined for general effectiveness. The dipnets were found to be adequate in boating loggerhead sea turtles. Several line clippers were tested, with the La Force line clipper having the best performance. Several types of dehooking devices were tested, with the work on these devices to continue in the 2002 NED experimental fishery.

6.1.5 Management of the Fishery

The U.S. Atlantic pelagic longline fishery is restricted by a limited swordfish quota, divided between the north and south Atlantic (separated at 5 N. lat.). Other regulations include minimum sizes for swordfish, yellowfin, bigeye, and bluefin tuna, limited access permitting, bluefin tuna catch requirements, shark quotas, protected species incidental take limits, reporting requirements (including logbooks), and gear requirements. Current billfish regulations prohibit the retention of billfish by commercial vessels, or the sale of billfish from the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, all billfish hooked on longlines must be discarded, and are considered bycatch. This is a heavily managed gear type, and as such, is strictly monitored to avoid overharvest of the swordfish quota.

Pelagic longline fishermen and the dealers who purchase HMS from them are also subject to reporting requirements. NOAA Fisheries has extended dealer permitting and reporting requirements to all swordfish importers as well as dealers who buy domestic swordfish from the Atlantic. These data are used to evaluate the impacts of harvesting on the stock and the impacts of regulations on affected entities.

6.2 Shark Bottom Longline Fishery

Large coastal sharks (LCS) are the predominant target species group in the bottom longline fishery, as meat and fins of these species are valuable. They are also caught by fishermen re-rigging pelagic longlines into bottom longline gear.

Bottom longline gear consists of a weighted longline about 10 miles long, containing about 750 hooks, that is fished overnight (average soak time 10.1 to 14.9 hours) with longer sets typical of the North Carolina and Florida Gulf fisheries and shorter sets typical of the South Carolina/ Georgia fishery (GSAFDF, 1997). Bottom longline gear is heavier-gauge than pelagic longline gear, and typically consists of a heavy monofilament mainline with lighter weight monofilament gangions. Some fishermen may use a flexible 1/16" wire rope as a short leader above the hook. Lightsticks are not used in the fishery. In 1997 and 1998, observer program data indicate that sets were made in 12-30 C water temperatures. Skates, sharks and finfish are used as bait.

Commercial shark fishing effort with bottom longline gear is concentrated in the southeastern United States and Gulf of Mexico. McHugh and Murray (1997) found in a survey of shark fishery participants that the largest concentration of bottom longline fishing vessels is found along the central Gulf coast of Florida, with the John's Pass - Madeira Beach area considered the center of directed shark fishing activities. As with all HMS fisheries, some shark fishery participants move from their home ports to active fishing areas as the seasons change.

6.2.1 Bottom Longline Catch and Bycatch

The 2001 observed catches of sharks in the directed bottom longline fishery are dominated by large coastal sharks (74.6 percent), with small coastal sharks comprising 25.2 percent and pelagic sharks comprising 0.2 percent. Sandbar sharks dominate the large coastal catch and landings (74.1 and 90.0 percent, respectively), followed by tiger sharks (10.8 and 2.3 percent, respectively), scalloped hammerheads (3 and 1.7 percent, respectively), and dusky sharks (2.2 and 1.6 percent, respectively; note that dusky sharks are a prohibited species so possession and landing is prohibited). Tiger sharks represent 56 percent of large coastal sharks tagged and released. Atlantic sharpnose sharks dominate the catches of small coastal sharks at 97.7 percent. Approximately 99 percent of small coastal sharks are used for bait in this fishery (only 10 out of 1,466 individuals were landed). Only 12 pelagic sharks were caught and landed - eleven shortfin mako and one thresher shark (NOAA Fisheries, 2002).

As of October 2001, approximately 390 fishermen had active incidental commercial shark limited access permits and 250 had active directed commercial shark limited access permits. The addresses of these permit holders range from Texas through Maine with nearly half (46 percent) of the permit holders located in Florida. Additionally, as of October 2000, there were 251 dealers permitted to buy sharks. Dealer addresses also range from Texas through Maine with 40 percent located in Florida.

A total of 37 sea turtles have been observed from 1994 through 2001 (G. Burgess, pers. comm. 2001). A total of 26 loggerhead turtles have been observed caught, with 18 released alive, 6 released dead, and 2 released condition unknown. A total of 4 leatherback turtles have been observed caught, with one released alive, one released dead, and 2 released condition unknown. An additional 7 unidentified species of sea turtle have been observed caught, with one released alive, one released dead, and five released condition unknown (G. Burgess, pers. comm. 2001).

6.2.2 Management of Fishery

Fishermen who wish to sell sharks caught in Federal waters must possess a Federal shark permit (directed or incidental). The shark fishery is limited access so permits can only be obtained through transfer or sale, subject to upgrading restrictions. Current commercial regulations for LCS include quotas, a trip limit of 4,000 pounds dressed weight for directed permits, and a trip limit of 5 LCS and 16 SCS and pelagic species combined for incidental permit holders. An LCS stock assessment is expected in 2002. The commercial regulations for pelagic sharks include separate quotas for porbeagle and blue sharks and a trip limit of 16 pelagic and SCS for incidental permits. The commercial regulations for SCS include a trip limit of 16 pelagic and SCS for incidental permits. All three categories involve limited access permitting and reporting requirements, a ban on fishing, prohibited species, and authorized gears. Since 1997, the LCS fishing season has generally been open for three months (January-March) in the first fishing season and a few weeks (July-August) in the second season. The small coastal shark (SCS) and pelagic shark fisheries are also managed with semiannual seasons, but the available quota is rarely taken.

6.3 Shark Gillnet Fishery Description

The southeast shark gillnet fishery occurs in two major areas: between Fort Pierce and Port Salerno, FL, and northwest of Key West, FL. A small number of trips have been conducted in the past on the west coast of Florida by a vessel that also makes trips on the east coast of Florida. The fishery is currently comprised of about 6 vessels approximately 8-17 m long that use nets typically 547-2,736 meters long and 9.1- 13.7 meters deep, with stretched mesh from 12.7 to 25.4 cm. The nets are longer and deeper than those used previously (1993-1995), but the mesh size used has remained constant over time. Fishing trips are typically less than 18 hours long and are conducted in nearshore areas (within 30 nautical miles from port). South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida prohibit the use of commercial gillnets in state waters; prohibitions which forced these vessels into deeper Federal waters, where gillnets are less effective.

Some of the vessels set gillnets "drifting" to catch sharks; the net remains attached to the boat at one end as it "soaks." Other fishermen target sharks by "strikenetting," a method in which two boats corral the sharks with the net, similar to a purse seine (when behind a shrimp trawler, one boat is used). A spotter plane can be used to locate schools of sharks and to minimize bycatch. Alternatively, some vessels strike behind trawl vessels where shark schools tend to congregate. Strikenetting, required by the large whale regulations, implies a net that is set in a circle around a school of sharks and actively fished. The "southeast shark gillnet fishery" includes both strikenet and drift gillnet operations because the gear type is essentially the same. However, gillnetting operations imply a different range of bycatch levels and species, and the two fishing methods are therefore considered separately.

6.3.1 Drift Gillnet and Strikenet Catch and Bycatch

During the 2001 right whale calving season, a total of 70 drift gillnet sets and 12 strikenet sets were observed. Approximately 20 additional strikenet trips were made when the observer was on board but no strike was made due to inability to locate the school, sharks were located in state waters, and poor weather conditions. Observed catches on drift gillnet sets were comprised of 12 species of sharks (92.6 percent of numbers caught), 34 species of teleosts and rays (5.65 percent were teleosts, 1.58 percent were rays), three species of sea turtle (0.10 percent), and two species of marine mammals (0.04 percent; Carlson, 2001). By number, four species of sharks made up 94.3 percent of the number of sharks caught: blacktip (32.3 percent), bonnethead (31.2 percent), Atlantic sharpnose (22 percent), and finetooth sharks (8.8 percent; Carlson, 2001). By weight, the shark catch was made up primarily of blacktip (40.1 percent), bonnethead (17.5 percent), Atlantic sharpnose (14.4 percent), scalloped hammerhead (9.4 percent), and great hammerhead sharks (8.9 percent).

Observed catches on strikenet sets during the 2001 right whale calving season were comprised of four species of sharks (99.9 percent of numbers caught) and three species of teleosts and rays (0.1 percent; Carlson, 2001). No marine mammals or sea turtles were caught while strikenetting. Blacktip sharks made up 99.9 percent of the shark catch when strikenetting. Bycatch included great barracuda, Atlantic guitar fish, and gray triggerfish (Carlson, 2001).

6.3.2 Management of the Fishery

Fishermen who wish to sell sharks caught in Federal waters must possess a Federal shark permit (directed or incidental). The shark fishery is limited access so permits can only be obtained through transfer or sale, subject to upgrading restrictions. However, Federal shark permits are not gear-specific so, although there are a limited number of shark gillnetters that operated in 2000, any of the shark permit holders may purchase gillnet gear and operate in the southeast shark gillnet fishery.

To reduce bycatch of right whales, NOAA Fisheries implemented a restricted area from November 15 through March 31, where only gillnets used in a strikenet fashion can operate during times when right whales are usually present. Operation in this area at that time requires 100 percent observer coverage. NOAA Fisheries also designated an area open to shark gillnet vessels fishing in a driftnet fashion but only under the condition that they carry an observer at all times during right whale calving season. Outside of the right whale calving season, observer coverage to produce reliable estimates of bycatch is required.

Vessel operators intending to use gillnets in the "observer area" during right whale season must notify NOAA Fisheries at least 48 hours in advance of departure to arrange for observer coverage. Observations of right whales in the observer area or restricted area outside this period, are rare, and a broader closure period, was not considered necessary to meet the objectives of the MMPA. After these requirements were implemented, NOAA Fisheries extended observer requirements to include all shark gillnet vessels at all times. The objective of that regulation was to collect bycatch information for all species (including turtles and finfish), consistent with requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. In March, 2001 (66 FR 17370), the observer coverage for this fishery during non-right whale calving season was reduced to a level that would ensure a statistically significant level of coverage.

Gear provisions were also implemented to further the goals of the MMPA. NOAA Fisheries restricted the way gillnets used in a strikenet fashion are set in the southeast gillnet fishery to minimize the risk of entanglement. In addition, shark gillnets must be marked to identify the fishery and region in which the gear is fished. Strikenetting in the restricted area is permitted during right whale season only if: (1) no nets are set at night or when visibility is less than 500 yards (460 m), (2) each set is made under the observation of a spotter plane, (3) no net is set within 3 miles of a right, humpback or fin whale, and (4) if a whale comes within 3 miles of set gear, the gear is removed from the water immediately. These measures were designed to minimize the risk of entangling any large whale.

6.4 Commercial Handgear Fishery

Handgear (rod and reel, handline, harpoon, and bandit gear) are used for Atlantic HMS by fishermen on private vessels, charter vessels, and headboat vessels. Operations, frequency and duration of trips, and distance ventured offshore vary widely. The proportion of domestic HMS landings harvested with handgear varies by species, with Atlantic tunas comprising the majority of commercial landings. Commercial handgear landings of all Atlantic HMS (other than sharks) in the United States are shown in Table 6.4. The fishery is most active during the summer and fall, although in the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fishing occurs during the winter months. For bluefin tuna, commercial handgear landings accounted for approximately 60% of total U.S. bluefin tuna landings, and over 71% of commercial bluefin tuna landings. The commercial handgear fishery for bluefin tuna occurs mainly in New England, with vessels targeting large medium and giant bluefin. Beyond these general patterns, the availability of bluefin tuna at a specific location and time is highly dependent on environmental variables that fluctuate from year to year. Fishing usually takes place between eight and 200 km from shore using bait including mackerel, whiting, mullet, ballyhoo, herring, and squid.

The majority of U.S. commercial handgear fishing activities for bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack tunas take place in the northwest Atlantic. In 1998, 4.3 percent of the total yellowfin catch, or 9.0 percent of the commercial yellowfin catch, was attributable to commercial handgear. The majority of these landings occurred in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Commercial handgear landings of skipjack tuna accounted for less than one percent of total skipjack landings, or about 2.1 percent of commercial skipjack landings. The percentages of albacore are similar to those for skipjack, and handgear landings of bigeye tuna accounted for less than one percent of total and commercial bigeye landings. Swordfish are landed using harpoons and/or handlines. While commercial handgear is periodically used by New England fishermen, fishermen in the southeast may increase their handgear landings as the swordfish stock increases. Handgear landings of swordfish are shown in Table 6.4 and account for a very small percentage of total U.S. swordfish catch (less than 0.1%). There are a significant number of sharks landed by fishermen using commercial handgear. However, the nature of the data collected and assessed for Atlantic sharks does not readily allow a breakdown into various commercial gear types. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many charter and headboat vessel operators target sharks as an alternative when other species are unavailable.

6.4.1 Most Recent Catch and Landings Data

Updated tables of landings for the commercial handgear fisheries by gear and by area for 1997-2000 are presented in Table 6.4. As commercial shark landings are not recorded/disaggregated by gear type, no commercial handgear data are provided in this section. A complete discussion of the commercial fisheries for Atlantic sharks is found in Sections 6.2 and 6.3.

Table 6.4 Domestic landings for the commercial handgear fishery, by species and gear, for 1997-2000 (mt ww). Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2001b.

Species Gear 1997 1998 1999 2000
Bluefin Tuna Rod and Reel 617.8 603.4 643.6 579.3
Handline 17.4 29.2 16.4 3.2
Harpoon 97.5 133.4 114.4 184.2
TOTAL 732.7 766.0 774.4 766.7
Bigeye Tuna Troll 3.9 4.0 0 0
Handline 2.7 0.1 12.3 5.7
TOTAL 6.6 4.1 12.3 5.7
Albacore Tuna Troll 5.2 5.8 0 0
Handline 4.8 0 4.4 7.9
TOTAL 10.0 5.8 4.4 7.9
Yellowfin Tuna Troll 237.6 177.5 0 0
Handline 90.6 64.7 219.2 283.7
TOTAL 328.2 242.2 219.2 283.7
Skipjack Tuna Troll 7.9 0.4 0 0
Handline 0.1 0 6.6 9.7
TOTAL 8.0 0.4 6.6 9.7
Swordfish Troll 0.4 0.7 0 0
Handline 1.3 0 5.0 8.9
Harpoon 0.7 1.5 0 0.6
TOTAL 2.4 2.2 5.0 9.5


Tables 6.5 and 6.6 display the estimated number of rod and reel and handline trips targeting large pelagic species in 2000 and 2001. The trips include commercial and recreational trips, and are not specific to any particular species. One can assume that most trips in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine were targeting bluefin tuna, and that most of these trips were commercial, as over 90 percent of Atlantic tunas vessel permit holders in these states have commercial General category tuna permits. For the other states, the majority of the trips are recreational (in that fish are not sold), with the predominant targeted species consisting of yellowfin and bluefin tunas, and sharks. It should be noted that these estimates are preliminary and subject to change.

Table 6.5 Estimated total trips targeting large pelagic species from June 5 through November 5, 2000. Source: LPS telephone and dockside interviews.

State/Area Private Vessel Trips Charter Trips Total
VA 930 198 1,128
MD/DE 1,008 915 1,923
NJ 2,934 1,279 4,213
NY 1,093 468 1,561
CT/RI 1,096 372 1,468
MA 6,390 1,108 7,498
NH/ME 1,221 233 1,454
Total 14,672 4,573 19,245


Table 6.6 Estimated total trips targeting large pelagic species from June 4 through November 4, 2001. Source: LPS telephone and dockside interviews.

State/Area Private Vessel Trips Charter Trips Total
VA 910 307 1,217
MD/DE and Cape May County, NJ 2,675 655 3,330
NJ (not including Cape May County) 3,040 660 3,700
NY 2,039 280 2,319
CT/RI 497 203 700
MA 3,641 567 4,208
NH/ME 1,944 133 2,077
Total 14,746 2,805 17,551

6.4.2 Bycatch Issues and Data Associated with the Fishery

As compared with other commercial gear types, commercial handgear is thought to produce relatively lower levels of bycatch. However, bycatch in the yellowfin tuna commercial handgear fishery is unmonitored in those areas where commercial activities occur after the Large Pelagic Survey (LPS) sampling season. Rod and reel discards of HMS as assessed from LPS data are discussed in the Recreational Section (6.5) as are new efforts in documenting catch and release survival rates. At this time, however, there is little information regarding important interactions and new data relating to commercial handgear bycatch. Anecdotal reports suggest that there may be an issue of small bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna discards, but there is no systematic information collection at this point. Some regulatory discards occur because fishermen must comply with minimum size restrictions.

6.4.3 Management of the Fishery

A thorough description of the commercial handgear fisheries for Atlantic tunas can be found in Section 2.2.3 of the HMS FMP. Social and economic aspects of the domestic handgear fisheries are described in section 2.2.4 of the HMS FMP and in chapters 5 and 6 of the SAFE report. For bluefin tuna, information regarding prices and markets, costs and expenses in the commercial fishery, exports and imports, processing and trade, charter/headboat fishing, and recreational fishing can be found in Section 2.2.4.1. Section 2.2.4.2 details commercial fishing, charter/headboat fishing, and recreational fishing for BAYS tunas.

The domestic swordfish fisheries are discussed in Section 2.3.3 of the FMP. Social and economic aspects of the domestic handgear fisheries are described in Section 2.3.4 and in chapters 5 and 6 of the SAFE report.

The domestic shark fisheries are discussed in Section 2.4.3 of the FMP. Directed fisheries for Atlantic sharks are conducted by vessels using bottom longline, gillnet, and rod and reel gear and discussed in Section 4.5 of this report. Social and economic aspects of the domestic handgear fisheries are described in Section 2.4.4 of the FMP, as well as in chapters 5 and 6 of the SAFE report.

6.5 Recreational Handgear Fishery

Atlantic tunas, sharks, and billfish are all targeted by recreational fishermen using rod and reel gear. Atlantic swordfish are also targeted and, although this fishery had declined dramatically over the past twenty years, recent anecdotal reports suggest that a recreational swordfish fishery may be growing in the mid Atlantic Bight and off the east coast of Florida.

6.5.1 Most Recent Catch and Landings Data

The recreational landings databases for HMS consists of data obtained through surveys including the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS), LPS, Southeast Headboat Survey (HBS), Texas Headboat Survey, and the Recreational Billfish Survey tournament data (RBS). Descriptions of these surveys, the geographic areas they include, and their limitations, are discussed in both the HMS FMP and the Billfish Amendment in Sections 2.6.2 and 2.3.2, respectively.

Reported domestic landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna (1983 through 1998) and bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack tuna (1995 through 1997) are presented in Section 2.2.3 of the HMS FMP. As landings figures for 1997 and 1998 were preliminary in the HMS FMP, updated tables of landings for these recreational rod and reel fisheries in 1996-1999 are presented below with updates of other HMS species. Recreational landings of swordfish are monitored by the LPS and the MRFSS. However, because swordfish landings are considered rare events, it is difficult to extrapolate the total recreational landings from dockside intercepts.

Table 6.7 Updated domestic landings for the Atlantic tunas, swordfish and billfish recreational rod and reel fishery: calendar years 1996-2000 (mt ww)*. Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2002.

Species Region 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Bluefin tuna** NW Atlantic 362 299 184 99.9 49.5
GOM 0 0 0 0.4 0.9
Total 362 299 184 100.3 50.4
Bigeye tuna NW Atlantic 108.2 333.5 228.0 316.1 34.4
GOM 0 0 0 1.8 0
Total 108.2 333.5 228.0 317.9 34.4
Albacore NW Atlantic 277.8 269.5 601.1 90.1 250.75
GOM 61.7 65.2 0 0 0
Total 339.5 334.7 601.1 90.1 250.75
Yellowfin tuna NW Atlantic 4,484.8 3,560.9 2,845.7 3,818.2 3,809.5
GOM 13.2 7.7 80.9 149.4 52.3
Total 4,498 3,569 2,927 3,967.6 3,861.8
Skipjack tuna NW Atlantic 48.1 42.0 49.5 63.6 13.1
GOM 36.4 21.7 37.0 34.8 16.7
Total 84.5 63.7 86.5 98.4 29.8
Blue marlin*** NW Atlantic 17.0 25.0 34.1 24.8 NA
GOM 8.3 11.5 4.5 7.5 NA
Caribbean 9.6 8.6 10.6 4.6 NA
Total 34.9 45.1 49.2 36.9 NA
White marlin*** NW Atlantic 2.7 0.9 2.4 1.5 NA
GOM 0.6 0.9 0.2 0.1 NA
Caribbean 0.0 0.0 0.02 0 NA
Total 3.3 1.8 2.6 1.6 NA
Sailfish*** NW Atlantic 0.2 0 0.1 0.07 NA
GOM 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.6 NA
Caribbean 0.2 0.2 0.05 0 NA
Total 1.2 0.6 1.15 0.67 NA
Swordfish Total 5.9 10.9 4.7 21.3 15.6

* Rod and reel catches and landings for Atlantic tunas represent estimates of landings and dead discards based on statistical surveys of the U.S. recreational harvesting sector.

**Rod and Reel catch estimates for bluefin tuna in the U.S. National Report to ICCAT include both recreational and commercial landings. Rod and reel catch of bluefin less than 73" curved fork length (CFL) are recreational, and rod and reel catch of bluefin 73 inches CFL or greater are commercial. Rod and reel catch of bluefin > 73" CFL also includes a few metric tons of "trophy" bluefin (recreational bluefin 73").

***Blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish landings are estimated based on the SEFSC Recreational Billfish Survey and the Large Pelagic Survey.

NA = not available at time of publication.


Tuna Recreational Fishery

Recreational tuna fishing regulations are the most complex and include a combination of minimum sizes, bag limits, limited seasons based quota allotment for bluefin tuna, and reporting requirements depending on the particular species and vessel type. Currently, Atlantic tunas are the only HMS species group that require a permit for recreational fishing. Bluefin tuna are the only HMS species managed under a recreational quota for which the fishing season closes after the quota has been met.


Swordfish Recreational Fishery

The recreational swordfish fishery in the north Atlantic Ocean has been expanding in recent years probably due to increased availability of small swordfish and increased interest in this sport. Fishermen typically fish off the east coast of Florida and off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. In the past, the New York fishery for swordfish has occurred incidental to overnight yellowfin tuna trips. During the day, fishermen targeted tunas, while at night they fished deeper for swordfish. This appears to have evolved into a directed fishery off Florida year-round and New Jersey in the summer months. The Florida fishery occurs at night when fishermen target swordfish using live bait, circle hooks, and lightsticks.

Existing survey strategies do not pick up landings of these fish which anecdotally appear to be frequent. Some handgear swordfish fishermen have commercial permits (2), others land swordfish for personal consumption. NOAA Fisheries is developing a strategy for sampling this fishery in order to accurately report recreational handgear-caught swordfish to ICCAT. These landings are currently counted against the Incidental quota.

Shark Recreational Fishery

Recreational landings of sharks are an important component of HMS fisheries. The following tables provides a summary of landing for each of the three species groups.

Table 6.8 Final estimates of total recreational harvest of Atlantic sharks: 1995-2000 (numbers of fish in thousands). 2000 data are preliminary. Source: Cortes, 2000; Cortes, 2001a; and Cortes, 2001b.

Species Group 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
LCS 176.3 188.5 165.1 169.8 90.1 130.4
Pelagic 32.5 21.6 8.7 11.8 11.1 12.8
SCS 170.7 113.5 98.5 169.8 111.5 158.5


Billfish Recreational Fishery

Due to the rare nature of billfish encounters and the difficulty of monitoring landings outside of tournament events, reporting of recreational billfish landings are sparse. However, in 2000, the Recreational Billfish Survey Program documented 119 blue marlin, 8 white marlin, and 16 sailfish landings.

In support of the sailfish assessment conducted at the 2001 SCRS billfish species group meeting, document SCRS/01/106 developed indices of abundance of sailfish from the United States recreational billfish tournament fishery for the period 1973-2000. The index of weight per 100 hours fishing was estimated from numbers of sailfish caught and reported in the logbooks submitted by tournament coordinators and NOAA Fisheries observers under the Recreational Billfish Survey Program, as well as available size information. Document SCRS/01/138 estimated U.S. sailfish catch estimates from various recreational fishery surveys.

6.5.2 Bycatch Issues and Data Associated with the Fishery

Bycatch in the recreational rod and reel fishery is difficult to quantify because many fishermen value the experience of fishing and may not be targeting a particular pelagic species. Recreational "marlin" or "tuna" trips may yield dolphin, tunas, wahoo, and other species, both undersized and legally sized. Bluefin trips may yield undersized bluefin or a seasonal closure may prevent landing of a bluefin tuna above the minimum size. In some cases, therefore, rod and reel catch may be discarded.

The Billfish Amendment established a catch-and-release fishery management program for the recreational Atlantic billfish fishery. As a result of this program, all Atlantic billfish that are released alive in this fishery, regardless of size, are not considered bycatch. NOAA Fisheries believes that establishing a catch and release program in this situation will further solidify the existing catch-and-release ethic of recreational billfish fishermen, thereby increasing release rates of billfish caught in this fishery. The recreational white shark fishery is by regulation a catch-and-release fishery only and white sharks are not considered bycatch.

Bycatch can result in death or injury to discarded fish and bycatch mortality should be incorporated into fish stock assessments and evaluation of management measures. Rod and reel estimates from Virginia to Maine during June through October can be monitored through expanding survey data derived from the Large Pelagic Survey (dockside and telephone surveys). Actual numbers of fish discarded for many species are so low that presenting these data by area may be misleading, particularly if estimates are expanded for unreported effort in the future.

Table 6.9 Reported discards* of HMS in the rod and reel fishery. Source: LPS Preliminary Data.

Species Number of Fish Kept Number of Fish Discarded Alive
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
White Marlin** 7 11 6 4 21 203 465 156 705 285
Blue Marlin** 2 3 3 0 0 30 27 28 1,886 68
Sailfish** 0 1 0 - - 2 2 3 - -
Swordfish 5 1 3 0 15 6 5 1 0 57
Bluefin Tuna 749 653 396 1,181 1,105 327 1,789
Bigeye Tuna 17 17 27 2,116 39 6 9 0 0 8
Yellowfin Tuna 1,632 2,646 2,501 26,727 11,833 224 645 682 1,436 546
Skipjack Tuna 285 261 146 - 0 468 267 88 0 0
Albacore Tuna 189 558 133 0 3,406 43 92 52 0 122
Thresher Shark 3 7 3 11 35 2 2 2 36 0
Mako Shark 51 78 49 0 120 86 92 49 0 486
Sandbar Shark 5 2 2 89 39 30 56 6 2 51
Dusky Shark 16 6 1 0 0 50 54 7 42 17
Tiger Shark 0 2 0 - 0 5 5 0 0 0
Blue Shark 68 26 11 473 6 1,897 780 572 13,769 2,019
Hammerhead Shark 1 1 1 3 4 4 4 5 0 2
Wahoo 6 71 45 803 125 1 2 0 0 14
Dolphinfish 920 7,263 2,139 7,753 8,364 61 194 73 4,878 345
King Mackerel 174 198 141 1,352 100 1 10 8 83 62
Atlantic Bonito 336 328 254 5,258 180 203 300 166 1,067 127
Little Tunny 587 1,231 97 403 216 1,015 1,507 133 783 204
Amberjack 3 6 9 3,154 55 18 40 24 463 0
Spanish Mackerel - - - 190 23 - - - 0 0


*NOAA Fisheries typically expands these "raw" data to report discards of bluefin tuna by the rod and reel fishery to ICCAT. If sample sizes are large enough to make reasonable discard estimates for other species, NOAA Fisheries may estimate discard estimates of other bycatch species in future SAFE reports.

**The Billfish Amendment established billfish released in the recreational fishery as a "catch and release" program, thereby exempting these fish from bycatch considerations


Outreach programs were included as final actions in the HMS FMP and the Billfish Amendment as part of the management measures to address bycatch. These programs have not yet been implemented, but preparation of program designs are currently in progress. One of the key elements of the outreach program will be to provide information that leads to an improvement in post-release survival from both commercial and recreational gear. Section 3.5.2.2 in the Billfish Amendment includes a review of available information on post-release mortality. Table 3.5.3 of the Billfish Amendment and Table 3.40 of the HMS FMP list the existing studies, their methods, and conclusions. Approximately 90 percent, or greater, of blue and white marlin taken by U.S. recreational fishermen are released after capture, therefore, studies on post-release mortality are critical.

6.5.3 Management of the Fishery

Atlantic tunas, swordfish, and sharks are managed under the HMS FMP, while Atlantic billfish are managed separately under the Billfish Amendment. The history of Atlantic billfish management is reviewed in Section 1.1.1 of the Billfish Amendment. Summaries of the domestic aspects of the Atlantic tuna fishery, the Atlantic swordfish fishery, and the Atlantic shark fishery are found in Sections 2.2.3, 2.3.3, and 2.4.3, respectively, of the HMS FMP.

Recreational fishing for Atlantic HMS is managed primarily through the use of minimum sizes and bag limits. Recreational tuna fishing regulations are the most complex and include a combination of minimum sizes, bag limits, limited seasons based quota allotment for bluefin tuna, and reporting requirements depending on the particular species and vessel type. Atlantic tunas are the only HMS species group that require a permit for recreational fishing at this time. Bluefin tuna are the only HMS species managed under a recreational quota for which the fishing season closes after the quota has been met. While Atlantic marlin have associated landing caps (a maximum amount of fish that can be landed), the overall strategy for management of recreational billfish fisheries is based on use of minimum size limits. The recreational fishery for swordfish is also managed through a minimum size requirement and there is a proposed bag limit (December 26, 2001, 66 FR 66386). The recreational shark fishery is managed through bag limits, minimum size requirements, and landing requirements (sharks must be landed with heads and fins attached). Additionally, the possession of 19 species of sharks is prohibited.

In 1997, ICCAT made several recommendations to recover billfish resources throughout the Atlantic Ocean, including reduction of Atlantic blue marlin (BUM) and white marlin (WHM) landings by at least 25 percent from 1996 levels, starting in 1998, to be accomplished by 1999; promote the voluntary release of live Atlantic BUM and WHM; and work to improve current monitoring, data collection and reporting in all Atlantic billfish fisheries. A 1998 ICCAT recommendation continued the requirement for a reduced level of marlin landings through 2000. Because commercial landings of Atlantic billfish by U.S.-flagged vessels were prohibited by the 1988 Atlantic Billfish FMP, the 25 percent reduction in blue and white marlin landings affects only recreational anglers in the United States. In November, 2000, ICCAT made a third recommendation for BUM and WHM by developing a two-phase rebuilding program. NOAA Fisheries has undertaken rulemaking activities to begin to implement this rebuilding program.

1. As of April 1, 2001, (66 FR 17370) a vessel is considered to have pelagic longline gear on board when a power-operated longline hauler, a mainline, floats capable of supporting the mainline, and leaders (gangions) with hooks are on board.

2. Access to the commercial swordfish fishery is limited; handgear fishermen however may purchase permits from other permitted fishermen because the permits are transferable.