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. 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
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.
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.