Trends and Potential Interactions Between Pinnipeds and Fisheries of New England and the U.S. West Coast

Long-term trends in the abundance and distribution of several pinniped species and commercially important fisheries of New England and the contiguous U.S. west coast are reviewed, and their actual and potential interactions discussed. Emphasis is on biological interactions or competition. The pinnipeds include the western North Atlantic stock of harbor seals, Phoca vitulina concolor; western North Atlantic gray seals, Halochoerus grypus; the U.S. stock of California sea lions, Zalophus californianus californianus; the eastern stock of Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus; and Pacific harbor seals, Phoca vitulina richardii. Fisheries included are those for Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua; silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis; Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus; the coastal stock of Pacific whiting, Merluccius productus; market squid, Loligo opalescens; northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax; Pacific her-ring, Clupea pallasi; and Pacific sardine, Sardinops sagax. Most of these pinniped populations have grown exponentially since passage of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. They exploit a broad prey assemblage that includes several commercially valuable species. Direct competition with fisheries is therefore possible, as is competition for the prey of commercially valuable fish. The expanding pinniped populations, fluctuations in commercial fish biomass, and level of exploitation by the fisheries may affect this potential for competition. Concerns over pinnipeds impacting fisheries (especially those with localized spawning stocks or at low biomass levels) are more prevalent than concerns over fisheries’ impacts on pinnipeds. This review provides a framework to further evaluate potential biological interactions between these pinniped populations and the commercial fisheries with which they occur.

Salmonid & freshwater Fisheries statistics England & Wales 1989

This is the Salmonid & Freshwater Fisheries Statistics for England & Wales 1989 produced by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) in 1989. This report is focused on the maintenance, improvement and development of fisheries of England and Wales. This report is the first on salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales published by the National Rivers Authority (NRA). From 1989 onwards, these statistics will appear each year as NRA fisheries statistics reports replacing the Data Report Series which was published by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) Directorate of Fisheries Research. This report makes a general review of different catches: Northumbria, Yorkshire, Anglian, Thames, Southern, Wessex, South West, Severn-Trent, Welsh and North West.

Salmonid & freshwater Fisheries statistics England & Wales 1990

This is the Salmonid & Freshwater Fisheries Statistics for England & Wales 1990 produced by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) in 1992. This report is focused on the maintenance, improvement and development of fisheries of England and Wales. This report is the second compilation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales published by the National Rivers Authority (NRA). Before 1989, these statistics were published by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) Directorate of Fisheries Research in their Data Report Series. The 1990 data have been presented in a broadly similar format to those of 1989. However, two further NRA regions, four in all, provided effort data for rod fisheries in 1990. This report makes a general review of different catches: Northumbria, Yorkshire, Anglian, Thames, Southern, Wessex, South West, Severn-Trent, Welsh and North West.

Salmonid & freshwater Fisheries statistics England & Wales 1992

This is the Salmonid & Freshwater Fisheries Statistics for England & Wales 1992 produced by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) in 1994. This report is focused on the maintenance, improvement and development of fisheries of England and Wales. This report is the fourth compilation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales published by the National Rivers Authority. For the years 1983-88, these statistics were published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), Directorate of Fisheries Research in their Data Report Series. Other than for rod catches, the 1992 data have been presented in a broadly similar format to those of 1991, Presentation of the rod data however has changed considerably due to the introduction in January 1992 of the first National Rod Fishing Licence. This report makes a general review of different catches: Northumbria, Yorkshire, Anglian, Thames, Southern, Wessex, South West, Severn-Trent, Welsh and North West.

Salmonid & freshwater Fisheries statistics England & Wales 1994

This is the Salmonid & Freshwater Fisheries Statistics for England & Wales 1994 produced by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) in 1995. This report is focused on the maintenance, improvement and development of fisheries of England and Wales. This report is the sixth compilation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales produced by the National Rivers Authority. For the years 1983-88, these statistics were published by the Ministry o f Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), Directorate of Fisheries Research in their Data Report Series. The 1994 data have been presented in a broadly similar format to those of 1993.This report makes a general review of different catches: Northumbria, Yorkshire, Anglian, Thames, Southern, Wessex, South West, Severn-Trent, Welsh and North West.

Salmonid & freshwater Fisheries statistics England & Wales 1996

This is the Salmonid & Freshwater Fisheries Statistics for England & Wales 1996 produced by the Environment Agency in 1997. The principal aim of the Environment Agency in respect of fisheries is to maintain improve and develop fish stocks, the basic fisheries resource, in order to optimise the social and economic benefits from their sustainable exploitation. This report is the second collation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales produced by the Environment Agency. For the years 1989-94, these statistics were published by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) and the years 1983-88 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Directorate of Fisheries Research in its Data Report series. The 1996 data, have been presented in a broadly similar format to those of 1995. This report makes a general review of different catches: Northumbria, Yorkshire, Anglian, Thames, Southern, Wessex, South West, Severn-Trent, Welsh and North West.

Acid waters in North West England. The effect of liming agricultural land

This is the Acid waters in North West England: The effect of liming agricultural land on the chemistry and biology of the River Esk, North West England report produced by National Rivers Authority in 1992. This report focuses on the study of Acid Waters in the North West Region of England, UK, which began in 1982 and sampling was completed in October 1990. This work was initiated because of the observation of the simultaneous mortality of adult and juvenile salmon and sea-trout in both the River Esk and adjacent River Duddon in June 1980. Investigations at that time indicated that an "acid episode" was the most likely cause of this mortality. A land use study indicated that a reduction in agricultural liming may have been a major factor in the development of acid episodes and consequent fish kills in the River Esk and River Duddon. However there was no evidence that the mortalities of salmonids in the early 1980's were due to a reduction in agricultural liming. They were due to some other phenomenon such as a period of intense acid deposition.

The assessment of the flow requirements for upstream migration of salmonids in some rivers of North West England

This is the assessment of the flow requirements for upstream migration of salmonids in some rivers of North West England produced by the North West Water Authority in 1985. This report focuses on the automatic fish counters operating on the resistivity principle used for several years in North West England. This report aims to investigate the flow requirements for upstream migration of salmon and migratory trout. The data obtained confirmed that during summer months most fish movement occurs in the higher range of the available flows, but the migration flow range varied from year to year, depending on prevailing river levels. Of the other environmental variables measured, only water temperature and incident light intensity appear to have any direct association with fish movement. Information on migration flow ranges were used in conjunction with computer simulations of the effects of abstraction proposals on historical flows to assess the implications of these proposals for migratory fish.

Episodic variations in stream water chemistry associated with acid rainfall and run-off and the effect on aquatic ecosystem, with particular reference to fish populations in N.W. England

This is the episodic variations in stream water chemistry associated with acid rainfall and run-off and the effect on aquatic ecosystems, with particular reference to fish populations in North West England produced by the North West Water Authority in 1985. This report looks at the biological, physical and chemical information collected over a five year period from over 100 sites on upland streams in the North West Region of which drained rocks of low buffering capacity. In both Lake District and South Pennine sites striking differences were found between the composition of invertebrate communities inhabiting acid-stressed and less acid-stressed streams. Electric fishing surveys showed that acidic streams (geometric mean pH <5.5) generally had abnormally low densities of salmonids ( < 0 .2m2) and that 0+ fish were very few or absent. The latter indicates recruitment failure. Salmon were more sensitive than trout to low pH.

Salmonid and freshwater fisheries statistics for England and Wales,1997

This report is the third collation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales produced by the Environment Agency. For the years 1989-94, these statistics were published by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) and the years 1983-88 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Directorate of Fisheries Research in its Data Report series. This report is designed to be a reference document of declared salmonid catches in England and Wales and is produced in the autumn following the season. Salmon stock assessment data including provisional catches, counter run estimates and some juvenile data are now published in an annual assessment for the International Council for the Exploitation of the Seas (ICES). The first report in this series was published jointly by the Environment Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquatic Science (CEFAS) in April 1997 (Anon 1998).

Salmonid and freshwater fisheries statistics for England and Wales,1998

This report is the fourth collation of salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for England and Wales produced by the Environment Agency. For the years 1989-94 these statistics were published by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) and for the years 1983-88 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Directorate of Fisheries Research, in its Data Report series. This report is designed to be a reference document of declared salmonid catches in England and Wales. Salmon stock assessment data including provisional catches, counter run estimates and some juvenile data are now published in an annual assessment for the International Council for the Exploitation of the Seas (ICES). The second report in this series was published jointly by the Environment Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquatic Science (CEFAS) in April 1998 (Anon 1999).

Salmon stocks and fisheries in England and Wales, 2001. Preliminary assessment prepared for ICES, April 2002

This report presents a preliminary assessment of the state of salmon stocks and fisheries in England and Wales in 2001 to assist ICES in providing scientific advice to NASCO and to provide early feedback to fishery managers and anglers. The chief indicators of the state o f salmon stocks are normally the catches taken by rod and net fisheries. However, in 2001 angling was affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), which restricted angling opportunities and access to rod fisheries in many parts of the country for lengthy periods. It is impossible to quantify the impact that FMD had on rod catches, although these were undoubtedly significantly reduced; net fisheries were unaffected by FMD. The declared salmon catch for 2001 (including those fish released alive by anglers) is provisionally estimated at 209 tonnes, representing some 57,000 fish, and comprising 153 tonnes (-43,000 fish) by nets and fixed engines and 56 tonnes (-14,000 fish) by rods. For direct comparison with previous years, it should be noted that the declared catch prior to the issue of a second reminder was about 49 tonnes (see below). An estimated 26 tonnes (43%) of the rod catch was released alive. These figures do not take account of catches of salmon which go unreported (including those taken illegally), and it is estimated that there may have been a total of 33 tonnes of additional fish caught in 2001; approximately 15% of all fish killed.

Mortality and movement of Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea) tagged off New England

From 2003 to 2006, 44,882 Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea) were captured and released with conventional disc tags in the western North Atlantic as part of a cooperative Yellowtail Flounder tagging study. From these releases, 3767 of the tags were recovered. The primary objectives of this tagging program were to evaluate the mortality and large-scale movement of Yellowtail Flounder among 3 stock areas in New England. To explore mortality, survival and recovery rate were estimated from traditional Brownie tag-recovery models fitted to the data with Program MARK. Models were examined with time and sex-dependent parameters over several temporal scales. The models with a monthly scale for both survival and recovery rate had the best overall fit and returned parameter estimates that were biologically reasonable. Estimates of survival from the tag-recovery models confirm the general magnitude of total mortality derived from age-based stock assessments but indicate that survival was greater for females than for males. In addition to calculating mortality estimates, we examined the pattern of release and recapture locations and revealed frequent movements within stock areas and less frequent movement among stock areas. The collaboration of fishermen and scientists for this study successfully resulted in independent confirmation of previously documented patterns of movement and mortality rates from conventional age-based analyses.