Summary of Laws for Commercial Herring Fishing with Legal References 2016-2017

Each year the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes a summary of the laws and regulations of commercial fishing in the state. This publication provides the license requirements, definitions, restrictions, and laws and regulations for the commercial herring fishing industry.

Summary of Public Fishing Pier Laws 2016-2017

Each year the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes a summary of the laws and regulations of commercial fishing in the state. This publication provides the license requirements, definitions, restrictions, and laws and regulations for fishing piers.

Summary of shad fishing laws 2016-2017

Each year the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes a summary of the laws and regulations of commercial fishing in the state. This publication provides the license requirements, definitions, restrictions, and laws and regulations for shad fishing.

An experimental study of gill net and trammel net 'ghost fishing' off the Algarve (southern Portugal)

Four 100 m lengths of both monofilament gill nets and trammel nets were deployed at depths between 15 and 18 m off the coast of the Algarve (south of Portugal) between April 1995 and June 1996. The nets were set on a natural rocky bottom with one end cut loose to simulate lost nets. Changes in net structure (net height, effective fishing area, movement, colonisation, wear and tear) and their catches (species, sizes, numbers, and biomass) were monitored by divers. Similar patterns were observed in all the nets, with a sharp decrease in net height and effective fishing area, and an increase in visibility within the first few weeks. Net movement was negligible except in the case of interference from other fishing gears. Catch rates were initially comparable to normally fished gill nets and trammel nets in this area, but decreased steadily over time. No sea birds, reptiles or mammals were caught in any of the 8 nets. Catches were dominated by fish (89 % by number, at least 27 species), in particular by sea breams (Sparidae) and wrasses (Labridae). Under the conditions experienced throughout the study the fishing Lifetime of a 'lost' net is between 15 and 20 wk. Based on an exponential model, we estimated that 100 m lengths of gill net and trammel net will catch 314 and 221 fish respectively over a 17 wk period. However, we consider this to be an underestimate due to high rates of predation and scavenging by octopuses, cuttlefish, moray eels, conger eels, and other fish such as the wrasse Coris julis. When the nets were surveyed in the following spring, 8 to 11 mo after being deployed, they were found to be completely destroyed or heavily colonised by algae and had become incorporated into the reef.

Effects of fishing methods on deep water shark species caught as by-catch off southern Portugal

Deep water sharks are commonly caught as by-catch of longlines targeting bony fishes and trawlers targeting crustaceans in deep water off the southern Portuguese coast. Due to low or no commercial value, these species are most of the times discarded at sea, with only the larger specimens of some species commercialized at very low prices. In this study we present size distributions, maturity distributions, and sex ratios of 2,138 specimens belonging to four different species, namely the lantern sharks Etmopterus pusillus and Etmopterus spinax and the catsharks Galeus melastomus and Galeus atlanticus, caught with these two gears. Trawls generally caught smaller-sized specimens, in a wider length range than longlines. Trawls caught mostly immature specimens of all species, namely 83.7% immature of E. pusillus, 84.3% of E. spinax, 89.5% of G. melastomus, and 95.5% of G. atlanticus, while longlines caught mostly immature E. pusillus (69.2%) and G. melastomus (78.6%) and mostly mature E. spinax (88.2%) and G. atlanticus (87.2%). Trawls tended to catch more males than females of all species except E. spinax, while longlines caught more females than males of E. spinax and G. melastomus and more males than females of the other two species. The main conclusion of this work is that trawls are catching smaller-sized and mostly immature specimens when compared to longlines, meaning that they are probably having a more detrimental effect on these shark populations. The data presented here have significant implications for the conservation of these shark populations since sizes, sexes, and the immature and mature components of the populations are being affected differently by these two fishing gears.

From a traditionally open access fishery to modern restrictions: Portuguese anglers' perceptions about newly implemented recreational fishing regulations

Saltwater recreational fishing (SRF) in Portugal was for a long time an open-access activity, without restrictions of any kind. Restrictions to control the recreational harvest were first implemented in 2006 and were highly criticized by the angler community, for being highly restrictive and lacking scientific support. The present study aimed to obtain socio-economic data on the recreational shore anglers and gauge their perceptions about recreational fishing regulations and the newly implemented restrictions in Portugal. Roving creel surveys were conducted along the south and south-west coasts of Portugal, during pre and post regulation periods (2006-2007). A total of 1298 valid face-to-face interviews were conducted. Logit models were fitted to identify which characteristics influence anglers' perceptions about recreational fishing regulations. The majority of the interviewed anglers was aware and agreed with the existence of recreational fishing regulations. However, most were against the recreational fishing regulations currently in place. The logit models estimates revealed that Portuguese anglers with a higher level of formal education and income are more likely to agree with the existence of recreational fishing regulations. In contrast, anglers who perceive that more limitations and a better enforcement of commercial fishing would improve fishing in the area are less likely to agree with the existence of SRF regulations. The findings from this study will contribute to inform decision-makers about anglers' potential behaviour towards the new and future regulations. Although the existence of fishing regulations is a good starting point for effective management, the lack of acceptance and detailed knowledge of the regulations in place by fishers may result in lack of compliance, and ultimately hinder the success of recreational fishing regulations in Portugal. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trophic signatures of small-scale fishing gears: implications for conservation and management

We quantified the ecosystem effects of small-scale gears operating in southern European waters (Portugal, Spain, Greece), based on a widely accepted ecosystem measure and indicator, the trophic level (TL). We used data from experimental fishing trials during 1997 to 2000. We studied a wide range of gear types and sizes: (1) gill nets of 8 mesh sizes, ranging from 44 to 80 mm; (2) trammel nets of 9 inner panel mesh sizes, ranging from 40 to 140 mm; and (3) longlines of 8 hook sizes, ranging from Nos. 15 (small) to 5 (large). We used the number of species caught per TL class for constructing trophic signatures (i.e. cumulative TL distributions), and estimated the TL at 25, 50 and 75% cumulative frequency (TL25, TL50, TL75) and the slopes using the logistic function. We also estimated the mean weighted TL of the catches (TLW). Our analyses showed that the TL characteristics of longlines varied much more than those of gill and trammel nets. The longlines of large hooks (Nos. 10, 9, 7, 5) were very TL selective, and their trophic signatures had very steep slopes, the highest mean TL50 values, very narrow mean TL25 to TL75 ranges and mean TLW > 4. In addition, the mean number of TL classes exploited was smaller and the mean TL50 and TLW were larger for the longlines of small hooks (Nos. 15, 13, 12, 11) in Greek than in Portuguese waters. Trammel and gill nets caught more TL classes, and the mean slopes of their trophic signatures were significantly smaller than those of longlines as a group. In addition, the mean number of TL classes exploited, the mean TL50 and the TLW of gill nets were significantly smaller than those of trammel nets. We attribute the differences between longlines of small hooks to bait type, and the differences between all gear types to their characteristic species and size-selectivity patterns. Finally, we showed how the slope and the TL50 Of the trophic signatures can be used to characterise different gears along the ecologically 'unsustainable-sustainable' continuum.

A conservation trade-off? Interspecific differences in seahorse responses to experimental changes in fishing effort

1. A 2-year experimental seining programme and underwater visual censuses were undertaken to quantify the direct effects of active demersal fishing on the population structure and relative abundance of two sympatric seahorse species of conservation concern: the European long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier 1829 and the short-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus L. The influence of habitat preference on population-level responses to changes in habitat structure following a reduction in fishing effort was also investigated. 2. It was predicted that the benthic habitat would be more structurally complex after fishing ceased and that seahorse densities would increase in response to reduced fishing mortality. Furthermore, it was predicted that the magnitude of the increase in density would be greater for H. guttulatus than for H. hippocampus, because the former species prefers complex vegetated habitats while the latter species uses sparsely vegetated habitats. 3. As predicted, the amount of habitat cover increased significantly when seining ceased, primarily through increases in the abundance of drifting macroalgae and unattached invertebrates. Despite similarities in life histories, the two seahorse species responded differently in terms of magnitude and direction to reduced fishing effort: the abundance of H. guttulatus increased significantly while H. hippocampus decreased in abundance. 4. Results suggest that active demersal fishing may influence the magnitude and direction of the responses of benthic marine fishes to exploitation through its impacts on habitat structure. An increase in habitat cover appeared to favour higher densities of H. guttulatus when seining effort was reduced. By contrast, repeated seining, which maintained less complex habitats, appeared to favour greater abundances of H. hippocampus. 5. Given differences in habitat preference among benthic marine fishes subject to incidental capture in fisheries, simultaneous attempts to manage populations of sympatric species may require complementary strategies that support the persistence of diverse habitat types. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A multi-model approach to evaluate the role of environmental variability and fishing pressure in sardine fisheries

Understanding the fluctuations in population abundance is a central question in fisheries. Sardine fisheries is of great importance to Portugal and is data-rich and of primary concern to fisheries managers. In Portugal, sub-stocks of Sardina pilchardus (sardine) are found in different regions: the Northwest (IXaCN), Southwest (IXaCS) and the South coast (IXaS-Algarve). Each of these sardine sub-stocks is affected differently by a unique set of climate and ocean conditions, mainly during larval development and recruitment, which will consequently affect sardine fisheries in the short term. Taking this hypothesis into consideration we examined the effects of hydrographic (river discharge), sea surface temperature, wind driven phenomena, upwelling, climatic (North Atlantic Oscillation) and fisheries variables (fishing effort) on S. pilchardus catch rates (landings per unit effort, LPUE, as a proxy for sardine biomass). A 20-year time series (1989-2009) was used, for the different subdivisions of the Portuguese coast (sardine sub-stocks). For the purpose of this analysis a multi-model approach was used, applying different time series models for data fitting (Dynamic Factor Analysis, Generalised Least Squares), forecasting (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average), as well as Surplus Production stock assessment models. The different models were evaluated, compared and the most important variables explaining changes in LPUE were identified. The type of relationship between catch rates of sardine and environmental variables varied across regional scales due to region-specific recruitment responses. Seasonality plays an important role in sardine variability within the three study regions. In IXaCN autumn (season with minimum spawning activity, larvae and egg concentrations) SST, northerly wind and wind magnitude were negatively related with LPUE. In IXaCS none of the explanatory variables tested was clearly related with LPUE. In IXaS-Algarve (South Portugal) both spring (period when large abundances of larvae are found) northerly wind and wind magnitude were negatively related with LPUE, revealing that environmental effects match with the regional peak in spawning time. Overall, results suggest that management of small, short-lived pelagic species, such as sardine quotas/sustainable yields, should be adapted to a regional scale because of regional environmental variability.

Assessment of catches, landings and fishing effort as useful tools for MPA management

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been widely recognized as a tool to achieve both fisheries management and conservation goals. Simultaneously achieving these multiple goals is difficult due to conflicts between conservation (often long-term) and economic (often short-term) objectives. MPA implementation often includes additional control measures on fisheries (e.g. vessel size restrictions, gear exclusion, catch controls) that in the short-term may have impacts on local fishers' communities. Thus, monitoring fisheries catches before, during and after MPA implementation is essential to document changes in fisheries activities and to evaluate the impact of MPAs in fishers' communities. Remarkably, in contrast with standard fisheries-independent biological surveys, these data are rarely measured at appropriate spatial scales following MPA implementation. Here, the effects of MPA implementation on local fisheries are assessed in a temperate MPA (Arrabida Marine Park, Portugal), using fisheries monitoring methods combining spatial distribution of fishing effort, on-board observations and official landings statistics at scales appropriate to the Marine Park. Fisheries spatial distribution, fishing effort, on-board data collection and official landings registered for the same vessels over time were analysed between 2004 and 2010. The applicability and reliability of using landings statistics alone was tested (i.e. when no sampling data are available) and we conclude that landings data alone only allow the identification of general patterns. The combination of landings information (which is known to be unreliable in many coastal communities) with other methods, provides an effective tool to evaluate fisheries dynamics in response to MPA implementation. As resources for monitoring socio-ecological responses to MPAs are frequently scarce, the use of landings data calibrated with fisheries information (from vessels, gear distribution and on-board data) is a valuable tool applicable to many worldwide coastal small-scale fisheries. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catches of the sport fishing competitions along the Algarve coast (Portugal): species, sizes, catch rates, and trends

Background. Stocks of many marine fishes are in decline and a number of studies suggest that for some species the impact of recreational angling may be important. To date, only recreational (leisure) fishing surveys have been conducted in Portugal, with no studies on beach angling competitions, dynamically increasing in number over the past 10 to 20 years. In view of the above, we decided to evaluate the impact of such events on the Algarve coast (southern Portugal) in terms of the abundance, diversity, and respective weight of fish species caught and outline some conservation measures and recommendations for the management of the targeted species. Materials and methods. Participants of 22 angling competitions taking place between February and June 2007 were surveyed. In each competition a random sample of anglers was interviewed, and the specimens caught by each participant were identified, weighed, and measured. Results. Thirteen taxa belonging to eight families were identified, and the most common were: garfish, Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761); mullets, Mugilidae (not identified); and mackerels, Scomber spp. A total of 563 specimens were sampled, totalling 75.4 kg of weight, with the average catch per angler weighing 0.5 +/- 0.05 SE (n = 153) kg. Differences were also observed between the length at first maturity (L(50)) of the specimens caught and their respective Minimum Landing Size (MLS) and Allowed Minimum Size (AMS), most particularly in the case of the European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), with almost all individuals caught measuring below the species-specific L50. Analysis of time series of competition results (1996-2009) showed no evidence of a decrease in catches or in mean weight. Conclusion. Based on the results we propose that the AMS for beach angling competitions should be increased to the MLS in order to prevent the capture of juvenile fishes, especially the sea bass. Future studies should address the size selectivity of the hooks used in beach competitions, with a view to the implementation of a minimum hook size for competitions.

Lost fishing gear and litter at Gorringe Bank (NE Atlantic)

Studies concerning marine litter have received great attention over the last several years by the scientific community mainly due to their ecological and economic impacts in marine ecosystems, from coastal waters to the deep ocean seafloor. The distribution, type and abundance of marine litter in Ormonde and Gettysburg, the two seamounts of Gorringe Bank, were analyzed from photo and video imagery obtained during ROV-based surveys carried out at 60–3015 m depths during the E/V Nautilus cruise NA017. Located approximately 125 nm southwest of Portugal, Gorringe Bank lays at the crossroad between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and is therefore characterized by an intense maritime traffic and fishing activities. The high frequency of lost or discarded fishing gear, such as cables, longlines and nets, observed on Gorringe Bank suggests an origin mostly fromfishing activities,with a clear turnover in the type of litter (mostly metal, glass and to amuch lesser extent, plastic) with increasing depth. Litter was more abundant at the summit of Gorringe Bank (ca. 4 items·km−1), decreasing to less than 1 item·km−1 at the flanks and to ca. 2 items·km−1 at greater depths. Nevertheless, litter abundance appeared to be lower than in continental margin areas. The results presented herein are a contribution to support further actions for the conservation of vulnerable habitats on Gorringe Bank so that they can continue contributing to fishery productivity in the surrounding region.

Life history & environmental effects on telomere dynamics in Atlantic salmon

While much of the study of molecular biology inevitably focuses on the parts of the genome that contain active genes, there are also non-coding regions that nonetheless play an essential role in maintaining genome integrity. One such region are telomeres, which cap the ends of all eukaryotic chromosomes and play an important role in chromosome protection. Telomere loss occurs at each cell division as a result of the ‘end replication problem’ and a relatively short telomere length is indicative of poor biological state. Thus far, the majority of studies on the dynamics and role of telomeres have been biased towards certain taxa. Research to date has mostly focussed on humans, other mammals and birds. There has been far less research on the telomere dynamics of ectotherms. It is important that we do so, especially since ectothermic vertebrates do not seem to down-regulate telomerase expression in the same way as endotherms, suggesting that their telomere dynamics may be less predictable in the later life stages. The main objective of this thesis was therefore to investigate how life history and environmental effects may influence telomere dynamics in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. I carried out carefully designed experiments, both in the laboratory and in the wild, using a longitudinal approach where possible, in order to address a number of specific questions that are connected to this central theme. In chapter 2, I demonstrate that there can be significant links between parental life history and offspring telomere dynamics. Maternal life history traits, in particular egg size, were most strongly related to offspring telomere length at the embryonic stages. Paternal life history traits, such as early life growth rate, had a greater association with offspring telomere dynamics in the later stages of development. In chapter 3, using a wild Atlantic salmon population, I found that most individuals experienced a reduction in telomere length during the migratory phase of their life cycle; however the relative rate of telomere loss was dependent on sex, with males experiencing a relatively greater loss. Unexpectedly, I also found that juvenile salmon that had the shortest telomeres at the time of outward migration, had the greatest probability of surviving through to the return migration. In chapter 4, again using a wild system involving experimental manipulations of juvenile Atlantic salmon in Scottish streams, I found that telomere length in juvenile fish was influenced by parental traits and by direct environmental effects. Faster-growing fish had shorter telomeres and there was a greater cost (in terms of reduced telomere length) if the growth occurred in a harsher environment. I also found a positive association between offspring telomere length and the growth history of their fathers (but not mothers), represented by the number of years that fathers had spent at sea. Chapter 5 explored the hypotheses that oxidative DNA damage, catalase (CAT) antioxidant activity and cell proliferation rate are underlying mechanisms linking incubation temperature and telomere dynamics in salmon embryos. No evidence was found for any such effects, but telomere lengths in salmon embryos were found to be significantly affected by the temperature of the water in which they were living. There is also evidence that telomere length significantly increases during embryonic development. In summary, this thesis has shown that a complex mix of environmental and parental effects appear to influence telomere dynamics in Atlantic salmon, with parental effects especially evident during early life stages. It also demonstrated that telomeres lengthen through the embryo stages of development before reducing once the fry begin feeding, indicating that the patterns of telomere loss commonly found in endotherms may differ in ectotherms. Reasons for this variation in telomere dynamics are presented in the final Discussion chapter of the thesis.

Catchability and survival of the resources during fishing operation

The present Ph.D. thesis aims to test and evaluate by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) that minimize the retention of undersized fish and do not penalize revenues of the fishing industry. Considering that a fraction of fish that escape from fishing gear or that are rejected at the sea probably does not survive (unaccounted mortality), it is a major concern for sustainable fisheries management, as unaccounted mortality may lead to biased stock assessment since they will tend to underestimate fishing mortality and overestimate stock size. In this context, in the present Ph.D. thesis, the escape survival (i.e. survival of the fish escaped through the trawl net codend) of the Mullus barbatus Linnaeus 1758 and the discard survival (survival of fish rejected at the sea after being hauled on deck) of Trachurus trachurus were evaluated for the first time in the central Mediterranean Sea. In conclusion, the use of underwater lights in Mediterranean trawl fisheries should be carefully regulated through ad hoc measures that are currently lacking, to minimize the potential impacts of artificial light on some already overexploited stocks. Even if further works should be carried out in the future to test BRDs performances in different areas and seasons, the T90 50 mm codend and the Grid-T45 40 mm seem promising tools to reduce the catch of undersized individuals and contribute to mitigating the current overfishing of Parapenaeus longirostris and Merluccius merluccius. The escape survival of M. barbatus was high and thanks to an improved methodology the bias in the sampling was minimized. However, for improved stock assessment of M. barbatus, the experiment should be repeated to provide accurate escape mortality estimates. While the discard survival of T. trachurus was very low and according to the landing obligation (Reg. EU 1380/2013) all the juveniles of the species should be landed.