A Social and Economic Characterization of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Recreational Shark Fishery

A mail survey of tournament shark anglers and party boat shark anglers was completed to examine their fishing activity, attitudes, trip expenditures, and consumer surplus. A sample of 700 shark anglers was selected from tournaments in the Gulf of Mexico during 1990, and a sample of party boat shark anglers was drawn from Port Aransas, Tex., party boat anglers during the summer of 1991. A response rate of 58% (excluding nondeliverables) was obtained from tournament anglers. The sample of party boat shark anglers was too small to provide useful results. Tournament shark anglers reported fishing an average of 58 days per year and targeted sharks and other large marine species. Tournaments occupy a small portion of their fishing effort. If this group of anglers were not able to fish for sharks, one-third indicated no other species would be an acceptable substitute, while others were willing to substitute other large marine species. Shark trip expenditures averaged $197 per trip with a consumer surplus of $111 per trip. Based on MRFSS estimates of the number of shark fishing trips, we estimate a total of $43,355,000 was spent by shark anglers in the Gulf of Mexico with a consumer surplus of $23,865,000 for a total gross value of the shark fishery of $66,220,000. MRFSS estimates of the number of sharks landed indicate an equivalent use value of $183 per shark.

The Development and Decline of Hawaii's Skipjack Tuna Fishery

The pole-and-line fishery for skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, was the largest commercial fishery in Hawaii until its decline in the 1970's and 1980's. The development and decline of the fishery were strongly affected by fish availability and marketing. A sustained drop in the availability of large fish in the mid-1970's appears to have been due in part to a sustained environmental change. Availability of large fish subsequently increased, but the fishery continued its decline owing to low profitability and lack of markets. The tuna cannery in Honolulu that fostered the fishery's expansion in the 1930's closed in 1984. Unless efforts to increase the marketf or skipjack tuna become effective, landings will probably remain at current levels of about 1,000 metric tons per year. The existing pole-and-line fleet may continue to decline with age, and the local market may eventually be supplied by other fishing methods (e.g., trolling), by new vessels, or by imports.

The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network: A Fisheries Information System

The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network (WPACFlN) is an intergovernmental agency cooperative program sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to help participating island fisheries agencies carry out data collection, analysis, reporting programs, and data management activities to better support fisheries management under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and to help meet local fisheries information and management needs. The WPACFlN is the central source of information for Federal fisheries management of most fisheries in American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and it plays an important role in acquiring fisheries data in Hawaii. This paper describes the development and status of this fishery information system.

Differences in Dolphin Mortality Rates in Night and Day Sets for the U.S. Eastern Tropical Pacific Tuna Purse Seine Fishery

Because dolphins sometimes travel with yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, in the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP), purse seiners use the dolphins to locate and capture tuna schools. During the process of setting the purse seine nets, dolphins often become entangled and drown before they can be released. Data for the U.S. purse seine fleet in the ETP during 1979-88 show that dolphin mortality rates in sets made during the night are higher than mortality rates in sets made during the day. Even with efforts to reduce nightset mortality rates through the use of high intensity floodlights, night set mortality rates remain higher. The data are also used to simulate a regulation on the fishery aimed at eliminating night sets and show that dolphin mortality rates would decrease.

Effects of the Santa Barbara, Calif., Oil Spill on the Apparent Abundance of Pelagic Fishery Resources

Many studies have been made of the effects of oil on marine invertebrates, plants (marine algae and phytoplankton), and vertebrates such as seabirds and marine mammals. An excellent review of these findings, which includes some references to fish and pathological effects of aromatic hydrocarbons, has been published by the Royal Society, London (Clark, 1982). That review dealt with the environmental effects of such major oil spills or releases such as those by the tankers Torry Canyon (119,000 t) on the south coast of England, Metula (50-56,000 t) in the Straits of Magellan, Argo Merchant (26,000 t) off Cape Cod, and the super tanker Amoco Cadiz (223,000 t) on the coast of northern Brittany. Those spills were studied to determine their effect on living resources. In contrast there are few references on the impact of oil spills on pelagic fishery resources.

On the Distribution and Fishery Potential of the Japanese Red Crab Chaceon granulatus in the Palauan Archipelago, Western Caroline Islands

A deep-water trapping survey in the Palauan archipelago, Western Caroline Islands, has revealed an abundance of the Japanese red crab, Chaceon granulatus. The recorded depth range (250-900 m) is similar to that of other geryonids, but the large numbers of females caught below 700 m is atypical. Mean yields in excess of 5 kg crabs plus 1 kg shrimp, Heterocarpus laevigatus, by-catch per trap-night were attainable at optimum depths. Chaceon granulatus is apparently a very large geryonid, with maximum weights of 2.02 kg and 1.51 kg recorded for male and female specimens, respectively. A range of body colors was observed: Orange-red shades appear to dominate the deeper waters (below 500 m) while yellow-tan colors are more abundant in the upper reaches. Preliminary evidence suggests that Chaceon granulatus is highly marketable, and the infrastructure in Palau is such that crabs could either be marketed fresh locally or airfreighted to Japan as a quick-frozen product. The high post-trapping survival rates observed indicate that maintaining crabs in live-holding tanks may be a feasible option. The large catches and quality of deep-water crabs taken suggests that the Palauan population of Chaceon granulatus may be able to support a small-scale fishery. It is not yet known whether this population is unusually large or whether these findings typify the deep forereef fauna of the region.

Biological Analysis of Two Management Options for the Atlantic Menhaden Fishery

Biological implications of two managment options (the closed corridor and the recommended shortened season (Option 7) options) for the Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, fishery are reported based on purse-seine landings and port sampling data from 1970 to 1984 and captain's daily fishing reports from 1978 to 1982. Large catches of age-O menhaden raise concern for growth overfishing. Area-specific yield-per-recruit analyses are used to investigate the biological consequences of these management options. The closed corridor option indicates coastwide gains in yield-per-recruit ranging from 0.3 to 7.2% depending on changes in fishing activity with most areas showing gains. The shortened fishing season indicates coastwide gains in yield per recruit ranging from O. 4 to 10.2% depending onf ishing year with most geographic areas showing gains. The shortened fishing season option offers the greatest gains when large numbers ofy oung menhaden would be caught late in the fishing year, while gains from the closed corridor option depend on how the fishing fleet responds to that management plan. The shortened season offers greater potential coastwide gains to the fishery, but also may result in greater losses to the North Carolina fall fishery. The analytical approach is applicable to the management of other coastal migratory fish stocks that fall under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission or other interstate management groups.

Simulated Economic Impact of TED Regulations on Selected Vessels in the Texas Shrimp Fishery

Shrimp fishermen trawling in the Gulf of Mexico and south Atlantic inadvertently capture and kill sea turtles which are classified as endangered species. Recent legislation requires the use of a Turtle Excluder Device(TED) which, when in place in the shrimp trawl, reduces sea turtle mortality. The impact of the TED on shrimp production is not known. This intermediate analysis of the TED regulations using an annual firm level simulation model indicated that the average Texas shrimp vessel had a low probability of being an economic success before regulations were enacted. An assumption that the TED regulations resulted in decreased production aggravated this condition and the change in Ending Net Worth and Net Present Value of Ending Net Worth before and after a TED was placed in the net was significant at the 5 percent level. However, the difference in the Internal Rate of Return for the TED and non-TED simulations was not significant unless the TED caused a substantial change in catch. This analysis did not allow for interactions between the fishermen in the shrimp industry, an assumption which could significantly alter the impact of TED use on the catch and earnings of the individual shrimp vessel.

The By-catch From the Artisanal Shrimp Trawl Fishery, Gulf of Paria, Trinidad

Samples of shrimp trawl catches were collected from a commercial artisanal vessel fishing inside the 6-fm isobath in the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad. From August 1986 to May 1987, 34 late evening-early morning trawl trips were made and 97 hauls were sampled. Annual ratio estimates were 9 (SD 1.3) finfish:shrimp and 14.7 (SD 2.0) by-catch: shrimp, with the highest ratios observed August through December and the lowest from late January through May, the dry season. Extrapolation of ratios, using shrimp catch statistics, indicates that for 1986, 974,000 kg of finfish and 620,000 kg of crabs, Callinectes spp., were caught incidentally by artisanal shrimp trawlers fishing in the Gulf of Paria. Of this total incidental catch (1,594,000 kg), about 1,500,000 kg were discarded (94 percent). Four penaeid shrimp species are targeted: Penaeus schmitti, P. notialis, P. subtilis, and Xiphopenaeus kroyeri. Callinectes spp. were caught in large quantities from Augustto mid-January. Small (4-15 cm) pelagic and demersal species of little commercial importance dominated the finfish by-catch: Harengula spp., Cetengraulis edentulus, Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Eucinostomous spp., Diapterus rhombeus, and Cyclopsetta spp. Altogether, the monthly percentage of the species ranged from 70 to 85 percent of the total finfish by-catch.

Use of Fish Corrals in the Seine Fishery of the Virgin Islands

Although selected aspects of the commercial fishery in the Virgin Islands have been documented since the early 1930's (Fiedler and Jarvis, 1932; Idyll and Randall, 1959; Hess, 1961; Swingle et al. 1970; Brownell, 1971; Brownell and Rainey, 1971; Sylvester and Dammann, 1972, and Olsen et al., 1978), fish corrals and their use have not been described. This account, based on personal observations made during 1985-86, summarizes commercial fishing methods in the Virgin Islands (U. S. and British), documents the use of fish corrals, and serves as an introduction to the methodologies of this harvesting technique. Interviews of commercial fishermen about how and when fish corrals are used provided information not available from direct observation. Local common names for gear type and fish species are shown in parentheses.

Application of the Leslie Model to Commercial Catch and Effort of the Slipper Lobster, Scyllarides squammosus, Fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Commercial catch and effort data were fit to the Leslie model to estimate preexploitation abundance and the catchability coefficient of slipper lobster, Scyllarides squammosus, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). A single vessel fished for 34 consecutive days in the vicinity of Laysan Island and caught 126,127 total slipper lobster in 36,170 trap hauls. Adjusted catch of legal slipper lobster dropped from a high of 3.70 to 1.16 lobster per trap haul. Preexploitation abundance at Laysan Island was an estimated 204,000 legal slipper lobster, which was extrapolated to yield an estimate of 1.2 X 106 to 3.8 X 106 lobster for the entire NWHI slipper lobster fishery.

Toward a Rational Seafood Trade Policy

With a record trade deficit of almost $146 billion in 1986, and continued high deficits in 1987, there is growing concern about how continued deficits will affect the U. S. economy. Because fishery products had a record $6.3 billion deficit in 1986, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has made the reduction of the fisheries trade deficit one of its top priorities. A recent NMFS trade objective was to "increase exports and domestic consumption of U.S. fishery products" which would lead to a reduction in the trade deficit. In this paper we explore this policy in terms of practicality and desirability.

The Driftnet Fishery in the Fort Pierce-Port Salerno Area off Southeast Florida

From May through September 1987, observations were made on 38 trips in the driftnet fishery off the Fort Pierce-Port Salerno area off southeast Florida. Of the number and weight of fish landed on observed trips, 91.6 percent consisted of king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, the targeted species. Over 33 species of fishes were observed among the discarded by-catch. The most frequently occurring species in the discards was little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus, which made up 67.0 percent by number of the discarded by-catch. Total landings for all commercial gear from Saint Lucie and Martin counties (the counties of the study area) increased 516,741 pounds from 1986 to 1987. In 1986, 55 percent of the catch was from handline and 45 percent from driftnet landings. In 1987, 78 percent was from driftnet and 22 percent from handline landings. A comparison of lengths from recreational and commercial landings showed recreationally caught fish to be, on the average, smaller. No marine mammals, birds, or turtles were entangled in the net on observed trips. Data on cost of nets. fuel, and supplies plus the distribution of earnings among the crew were obtained for five driftnet boats.

Plan of the Lune Fishery District. Map of District sealed by the Board of agriculture & fisheries

Historic map of the River Lune Fishery District.

The River Ehen salmonid fishery - current status and a summary of fisheries work 1993-1996

This is the report on the River Ehen salmonid fishery - current status and a summary of fisheries work during the period 1993-1996, produced by the Environment Agency North West in 1997. This report draws together a number of investigations and surveys undertaken following the 1993 Strategic fisheries survey of the River Ehen. It specifically details the historic catch data available for this catchment for both salmon and sea trout and examines the current stock levels based on this data. Concerns over sea trout stock levels are raised and a detailed examination of the possible limiting factors involved is included. Information from surveys on the River Keekle is analysed with reference to its potential for sea trout production both currently and with the proposed clean up on Oatlands tip. Salmon production in the historically acidified River Liza sub catchment is examined along with ways of boosting production further following recent reductions in acidic episodes. Future and current issues and actions required in the catchment are listed along with the responsible party and estimated costs involved.