Empirical estimates of historical variations in the catchability and fishing power of pelagic longline fishing gear

I quantify the effects of 11 variables on the catchability and fishing power of pelagic longlines, which are used to catch tunas and billfishes in the open ocean. Extension of the depth range and the duration of longline operations have reduced the catchability of several epipelagic species, such as mako sharks (Isurus spp.), since industrial longlining commenced in the tropical Pacific Ocean in the early 1950s. Reductions in the body size of many species may also have reduced encounters with longline hooks. By contrast, the catchability of commercially valuable bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) increased substantially because of the longer duration and extension of the depth range of longlines. Stronger and less visible line materials and increased fishing-master experience also contributed to increased catchability. By affecting the rate of bait loss, the introduction of new bait species increased fishing power. This study highlights significant problems in deriving indices of abundance from commercial catch and effort data. Instead of relying on commercial data, assessments should use tag-recapture experiments or dedicated surveys to obtain fishery-independent estimates of abundance.     

Distinct Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Stocks Detected in Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) Using DNA Microsatellites

The yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788), covers majority of the Philippines’ tuna catch, one of the major fisheries commodities in the country. Due to its high economic importance sustainable management of these tunas has become an imperative measure to prevent stock depletion. Currently, the Philippine yellowfin tuna is believed to be part of a single stock of the greater WCPO though some reports suggest otherwise. This study therefore aims to establish the genetic stock structure of the said species in the Philippines as compared to Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea using nine (9) DNA microsatellite markers.DNA microsatellite data revealed significant genetic differentiation between the Philippine and Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea yellowfin tuna samples. (FST = 0.034, P = 0.016), which is further supported by multilocus distance matrix testing (PCoA) and model-based clustering (STRUCTURE 2.2).With these findings, this study posits that the yellowfin tuna population in the Philippines is a separate stock from the Bismarck Sea population. These findings add evidence to the alternative hypothesis of having at least 2 subpopulations of yellowfin tuna in the WCPO and calls for additional scientific studies using other parameters to investigate this. Accurate population information is necessary in formulating a more appropriate management strategy for the sustainability of the yellowfin tuna not only in the Philippines but also in the WCPO.     

Ecological effects of longline fishing and climate change on the pelagic ecosystem off eastern Australia

Pelagic longline fisheries target (or catch incidently) large apex predators in the open ocean (e.g. tunas, billfish and sharks) and have the potential to disrupt the ecosystem functionality if these predators exert strong top–down control. In contrast, warming of oceans from climate change may increase bottom–up effects from increases in primary productivity. An ecosystem model of a large pelagic ecosystem off eastern Australia was constructed to explore the potential ecological effects of climate change and longlining by Australia’s Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery. The model reproduced historic biomass and fishery catch trends from 1952 to 2006 for seven functional groups. Simulated changes in fishing effort and fishing mortality rate on individual target species from 2008 to 2018 resulted in only modest (<20%) changes in the biomass of target species and their direct predators or competitors. A simulated increase in phytoplankton biomass due to climate change resulted in only small increases (<11%) in the biomass of all groups. However, climate-related changes to the biomass of micronekton fish (−20%) and cephalopods (+50%) resulted in trophic cascades. Our results suggest there may be ecological redundancy among high trophic level predators since they share a diverse suite of prey and collectively only represent <1% of the total system biomass. In contrast, micronekton fishes and cephalopods have high biomasses and high production and consumption rates and are important as both prey and predators. They appear to exert ‘wasp–waist’ control of the ecosystem rather than top–down or bottom–up processes reported to drive other pelagic systems.     

Catch and discards from experimental trawl and longline fishing in the deep water of the Rockall Trough

Comparative bottom trawl and longline surveys were carried out on two chartered commercial fishing vessels in the deep waters (350-1300 m) of the Rockall Trough, an area subjected to heavy commercial exploitation. The species composition, catch rates and length distributions from each survey were very different and reflected the fundamental difference in the two types of fishing operations. Bottom-trawled catches produced greater species diversity and higher discard rates. Longline catches produced larger specimens of teleost fish and were dominated by squalid shark. Trawl discards, expressed as kgs of discards per tonne of roundnose grenadier Coryphaenoides rupestris landed, were calculated for a broad range of the most abundant species taken in the catch. First estimates of total international discarding from deep-water trawling operations in the Rockall Trough area (7530 tonnes; 26.5 million individuals) were made by raising the discard rates using international grenadier landings for 1995. The outlook for the continued exploitation of the deep-water fish resource in the Rockall Trough and possible management options are discussed.     

Sperm whale depredation of sablefish longline gear in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Interactions between marine mammals and fisheries include competition for prey (catch), marine mammal entanglement in fishing gear, and catch removal off fishing gear (depredation). We estimated the magnitude of sperm whale depredation on a major North Pacific longline fishery (sablefish) using data collected during annual longline surveys. Sperm whale depredation occurs while the longline gear is off‐bottom during retrieval. Sperm whales were observed on 16% of longline survey sampling days, mostly (95% of sightings) over the continental slope. Sightings were most common in the central and eastern Gulf of Alaska (98% of sightings), occasional in the western Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands, and absent in the Bering Sea. Longline survey catches were commonly preyed upon when sperm whales were present (65% of sightings), as evidenced by damaged fish. Neither sperm whale presence (P = 0.71) nor depredation rate (P = 0.78) increased significantly from 1998 to 2004. Longline survey catch rates were about 2% less at locations where depredation was observed, but the effect was not significant (P = 0.34). Estimated sperm whale depredation was <1% of the annual sablefish longline fishery catch off Alaska during 1998 to 2004.     

Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts exploited by fishing in the Azores (NE Atlantic)

Seamount fish communities are susceptible to variations due to the oceanographic conditions and level of historical fishing effort. In the NE Atlantic, the Azores is considered an “oceanic seamount ecosystem area” because seamount concentration is high relative to other regions. Scientific information on seamounts in the Azores remains scarce and demersal fishery occurs mostly without any knowledge to endorse sustainable harvest strategies. To make available an important baseline information on dynamics of demersal fish populations inhabiting commercially exploited seamounts, the present study has as specific objectives to (a) describe the taxonomic composition of demersal fish assemblages on underwater mountains, (b) examine whether assemblages vary spatial and temporally, and (c) investigate what drives distributional patterns of species in terms of abundance and size composition. For this, three Azorean seamounts (Açores, Princesa Alice and Mar da Prata) exploited by bottom fishing were selected as case study areas. Data were obtained from scientific surveys and commercial fishery over the past c. 25 years. A total of 84 species from 45 families were identified. Sebastidae, Moridae, Sparidae and Centrophoridae were the most abundant families, mainly represented by Helicolenus dactylopterus, Mora moro, Pagellus bogaraveo and Deania profundorum, respectively. Fish assemblages were more distinguishable spatially than temporally. Depth was identified as the main factor responsible for these differences. The higher occurrence of shallow and intermediate (i.e., up to 600 m) habitats in Princesa Alice and Açores seems to favor the occurrence of a greater number of species and higher abundances in comparison to Mar da Prata. Phycis phycis, Pontinus kuhlii, H. dactylopterus, P. bogaraveo, Conger conger and M. moro were the species which primarily contributed to dissimilarities in assemblage structure among sample groups. Abundance indices and fish sizes showed a decreasing trend for many of these species, especially for those with sedentary behaviour inhabiting historically highly exploited seamount areas. These results highlighted the vulnerability of demersal fishes to the expansion of fishing effort in the offshore seamount areas. Spatial management of seamounts should be a priority being fish conservation balanced with strategies that support sustainable fisheries.     

中西太平洋大眼金枪鱼中心渔场时空分布与温跃层的关系

采用Argo数据和中西太平洋渔业委员会的大眼金枪鱼延绳钓数据,绘制了温跃层和月平均单位捕捞努力量渔获量(CPUE)的空间叠加图,分析中西太平洋大眼金枪鱼渔场时空分布对温跃层的响应关系.结果表明: 全年中心渔场纬向主要分布在南北纬10°之间的低纬度区域.在赤道以南有季节性中心渔场的出现和消失,与温跃层上界温度、深度和温跃层厚度的积极性变化有关.中心渔场主要分布在温跃层上界较深(70～100 m)和厚度较大(>60 m)的海域,厚度小于40 m的区域难以形成中心渔场;适宜分布的上界温度区间在26～29 ℃,在此区间外CPUE多小于中心渔场阈值(Q3).中心渔场的空间分布随上界深度和跃层厚度的季节性变动而变动,当赤道以南海域的上界深度变浅以及厚度变薄时,中心渔场消失.温跃层下界温度、深度和温跃层强度季节性变化不显著,但与中心渔场出现有显著关系.中心渔场主要分布在温跃层下界深度两条高值带之间的区域,温度低于13 ℃以及强度大的区域;在温跃层下界深度超过300 m和小于150 m区域,下界温度超过17 ℃的区域,或者强度小的区域难以形成中心渔场.利用频次分析和经验累积分布函数计算其适宜温跃层特征参数分布,结果表明研究区域大眼金枪鱼适宜分布的上界温度、深度和下界温度、深度分别是26～29 ℃、70～110 m、11～13 ℃和200～280 m;适宜分布的温跃层厚度和强度分别是50～90 m和0.1～0.16 ℃·m^-1.本研究初步得出研究区域大眼金枪鱼CPUE空间分布和温跃层的关系,为我国远洋金枪鱼捕捞作业和资源管理提供理论参考.     

大西洋中部延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼渔场时空分布与温跃层的关系

为了解大西洋延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼(Thunnus albacares)渔场适宜的温跃层参数分布区间,采用Argo浮标水温信息和大西洋金枪鱼会委员(International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICCAT)的黄鳍金枪鱼延绳钓渔获数据,绘制了大西洋中部月平均温跃层特征参数和月平均单位捕捞努力量渔获量(Catch per unit effort CPUE)的空间叠加图,用于分析大西洋中部延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼中心渔场时空分布和温跃层特征参数关系。分析结果表明:大西洋中部温跃层上界深度、温度具有明显的季节性变化,而温跃层下界深度、温度没有明显的季节变化特征。空间叠加图显示,1-6月份在赤道地区中心渔场主要分布在温跃层上界深度为20-60 m之间。7-9月份在60-80 m,同期在纳米比亚外海,中心渔场区域温跃层上界深度超过100 m。10-12月份,中心渔场区域温跃层上界深度下降到60 m左右。全年在赤道区域,中心渔场CPUE主要分布在温跃层上界温度26-29 ℃,低于24℃区域渔获率很低;温跃层下界深度在160-250 m,集中在230 m;温跃层下界温度在12-14 ℃之间,在此区间外CPUE值都比较低。7-11月份,在纳米比亚外海的中心渔场区域上界温度会低至20 ℃,下界深度分布在140-160 m,下界温度在14-15 ℃左右。数值计算得出大西洋中部黄鳍金枪鱼适宜的温跃层上界温度是26-28.9 ℃;适宜的温跃层下界温度和深度分别是12-14.9 ℃和150-249 m,而上界深度和中心渔场CPUE关系不明显。研究得出大西洋延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼中心渔场温跃层各特征参数的适宜分布区间及季节变化特征,为延绳钓黄鳍金枪鱼实际生产作业和资源管理提供理论参考。     

Age and growth of the cold-water scleractinian Solenosmilia variabilis and its reef on SW Pacific seamounts

Little is known about growth rates of deep-water reef-forming corals or the rates at which these reefs accumulate. Such information is critical for determining the resilience of the reefs to anthropogenic impacts such as trawling and climate change. We radiocarbon date live-caught and sub-fossil samples of the bioherm-forming coral Solenosmilia variabilis collected from precisely known depths and locations by means of a remotely operated vehicle on seamounts south of Tasmania, Australia. The growth rate of colonies live-caught between 958 and 1,454 m, which spans most of the depth range of the species locally, ranged from 0.84 to 1.25 mm linear extension yr^?1 and tended to be higher in the deeper-caught material. Analysis of skeletal microstructure suggests annual deposition of growth increments near the growing tips, but not closer to the base, as the skeleton is extended and thickened. Dating of sub-fossil material indicates S. variabilis has been present on Tasmanian seamounts for at least the last 47,000 yrs and a reef accumulation rate of 0.27 mm yr^?1.     

Preliminary stock assessment of the Patagonian toothfish longline fishery around the Falkland Islands

An experimental fishery for Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides was opened in Falkland Island waters briefly in 1992 and then from April 1994. One to two longlines per vessel were usually deployed at night, mostly fishing for 12–30 h at depths between 600 and 2000 m. The characteristics of the vessel, gear, fishing activities and the data collection and analyses methods are described. An initial evaluation of the authors' current understanding of toothfish biology and population dynamics in Falkland Island waters is given. A first analysis of toothfish numbers caught in 1994 suggests that these are changing at rates faster than expected from simple demographic processes. Therefore, despite an intensive monitoring of catch and fishing effort of each vessel, it is still not possible to derive reliable estimates for the size of the toothfish population currently exploited around the Falkland Islands. Migration patterns in and out of the fishery need to be understood before a reliable assessment of the fishery can be made. These results, together with current and future lines of research, are discussed in the light of data available from other toothfish fisheries in austral waters.     

Reproductive Dynamics and Potential Annual Fecundity of South Pacific Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

The reproductive biology of albacore tuna, Thunnus alalunga, in the South Pacific Ocean was investigated with samples collected during broad-scale sampling between 2006 and 2011. Histology was done in a single laboratory according to standard protocols and the data analysed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. The sex ratio of albacore was female biased for fish smaller than approximately 60 cm FL and between 85 and 95 cm, and progressively more male biased above 95 cm FL. Spawning activity was synchronised across the region between 10°S and 25°S during the austral spring and summer where sea surface temperatures were ≥24 °C. The average gonad index varied among regions, with fish in easterly longitudes having heavier gonads for their size than fish in westerly longitudes. Albacore, while capable of spawning daily, on average spawn every 1.3 days during the peak spawning months of October to December. Spawning occurs around midnight and the early hours of the morning. Regional variation in spawning frequency and batch fecundity were not significant. The proportion of active females and the spawning fraction increased with length and age, and mature small and young fish were less active at either end of the spawning season than larger, older fish. Batch fecundity estimates ranged from 0.26 to 2.83 million oocytes with a mean relative batch fecundity of 64.4 oocytes per gram of body weight. Predicted batch fecundity and potential annual fecundity increased with both length and age. This extensive set of reproductive parameter estimates provides many of the first quantitative estimates for this population and will substantially improve the quality of biological inputs to the stock assessment for South Pacific albacore.     

The behaviour of seabirds foraging at fishing boats around Shetland

Among the different types of fishing vessels around Shetland, whitefish trawlers attract the largest numbers of scavenging seabirds and provide the most food. Offal was almost all consumed by seabirds, predominantly by Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis , which excluded other species by their aggression. Fulmars generally ignored discarded whole fish, which were mainly taken by Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus , Gannets Sula bassana and Great Skuas Catharacta skua . Although flatfish were usually ignored because seabirds found them difficult to swallow and they sank faster, most discarded roundfish were consumed. Herring Gulls L. argentatus , Lesser Black-backed Gulls L. fuscus and Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla were rarely able to obtain offal or discards. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls spent much time on the periphery of feeding flocks while Kittiwakes rarely attempted even to join these. Most of the birds at trawlers were in adult plumage, and it is suggested that the low proportion of immature birds present was a further reflection of the highly competitive feeding conditions at trawlers. We suggest that likely changes in fishing practice and seabird population sizes in the immediate future may result in Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas finding feeding on waste around trawlers increasingly difficult, so they may be further displaced by Fulmars, Gannets and Great Black-backed Gulls.     

Biogeography of Southeast Asia and the West Pacific

The biogeography of Southeast Asia and the West Pacific is complicated by the fact that these are regions on the border of two palaeocontinents that have been separated for a considerable period of time. Thus, apart from any patterns of vicariance, two general patterns relating to dispersal can be expected: a pattern of Southeast Asian elements, perhaps of Laurasian origin, expanding into Australian areas, and a reverse pattern for Australian elements, perhaps of Gondwanan origin. On top of this, both Australian and Southeast Asian elements occur in the Pacific. They dispersed there as the Pacific plate moved westward, bringing the different islands within reach of Southeast Asia and Australia. In order to reconstruct the biotic history of these areas, two large data sets consisting of both plants and animals were generated, one for each pattern, which were analysed using cladistic methods. The general patterns that emerged were weakly supported and do not allow general conclusions.     

Contrasting Genetic Structure among Populations of Two Amphidromous Fish Species (Sicydiinae) in the Central West Pacific

Both present-day and past processes can shape connectivity of populations. Pleistocene vicariant events and dispersal have shaped the present distribution and connectivity patterns of aquatic species in the Indo-Pacific region. In particular, the processes that have shaped distribution of amphidromous goby species still remain unknown. Previous studies show that phylogeographic breaks are observed between populations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans where the shallow Sunda shelf constituted a geographical barrier to dispersal, or that the large spans of open ocean that isolate the Hawaiian or Polynesian Islands are also barriers for amphidromous species even though they have great dispersal capacity. Here we assess past and present genetic structure of populations of two amphidromous fish (gobies of the Sicydiinae) that are widely distributed in the Central West Pacific and which have similar pelagic larval durations. We analysed sections of mitochondrial COI, Cytb and nuclear Rhodospine genes in individuals sampled from different locations across their entire known range. Similar to other Sicydiinae fish, intraspecific mtDNA genetic diversity was high for all species (haplotype diversity between 0.9–0.96). Spatial analyses of genetic variation in Sicyopus zosterophorum demonstrated strong isolation across the Torres Strait, which was a geologically intermittent land barrier linking Australia to Papua New Guinea. There was a clear genetic break between the northwestern and the southwestern clusters in Si. zosterophorum (φ_ST = 0.67502 for COI) and coalescent analyses revealed that the two populations split at 306 Kyr BP (95% HPD 79–625 Kyr BP), which is consistent with a Pleistocene separation caused by the Torres Strait barrier. However, this geographical barrier did not seem to affect Sm. fehlmanni. Historical and demographic hypotheses are raised to explain the different patterns of population structure and distribution between these species. Strategies aiming to conserve amphidromous fish should consider the presence of cryptic evolutionary lineages to prevent stock depletion.     

The direct influence of fishing and fishery-related activities on non-target species in the Southern Ocean with particular emphasis on longline fishing and its impact on albatrosses and petrels – a review

Finfishing in the Southern Ocean began morethan 30 years ago at South Georgia and theKerguelen Islands. Although the fisheryextended further south for a few years in thesecond half of the 1970s, these two islandsremained the most important fishing groundsuntil 1996/97. Longlining for Dissostichuseleginoides began in 1985/86 and remainedrestricted to South Georgia and the KerguelenIslands for more than 10 years. Catches rarelyexceeded 12,000 tonnes in one season. Thefishery, however, is important because the fishare valuable and highly priced. The Commissionfor the Conservation of Antarctic Marine LivingResources (CCAMLR) is regulating fishing in theSouthern Ocean. CCAMLR first receivedinformation on this fishery and its possiblehigh by-catch of albatrosses and larger petrelswas first estimated in 1991. From 1996/97 onwards, illegal, unreportedand unregulated (IUU) fishing expandeddramatically within a single season. Limitedcontrol could be exerted in those areas whichwere under national jurisdiction. A number ofdetrimental effects from fishing activitiescould be seen on birds and mammals. Estimatedcatches in the illegal fishery amounted toseveral tens of thousands of birds per seasonwith little appparent reduction over the firstfour seasons. The sudden development of theillegal fishery placed a great strain onCCAMLR's fishery management. Vessels fishinglegally gradually improved their compliancewith CCAMLR conservation measures over the lastcouple of years. This may be insignificant compared to the potential in the IUU fisheriesbut testifies to our ability to makesignificant improvement using simple mitigationmethods.After setting precautionary catch limits in1997, CCAMLR was able to adopt a `CatchDocumentation Scheme' (CDS) in November 1999which came into force on 7 May 2000. Mauritius,the main port where IUU fish were landed in2000, was willing to accede to CCAMLR and adoptthe CDS. An International Plan of Action forReducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds inLongline Fisheries was adopted by the FAO inJune 1999 and various activities ofgovernmental and non-governmental groups alsoseemed likely to address the problem moreeffectively with the assistance of the fishingindustry.     

Comparative feeding strategies of yellowfin tuna around St Helena and adjacent seamounts of the South Atlantic Ocean

Yellowfin tuna are the mainstay of the traditional tuna fisheries in St Helena waters, but there is limited knowledge of their ecology and feeding behaviour in the area. In this study yellowfin tuna stomach contents were used to assess spatio-temporal changes in feeding strategy and consider the role of tuna in the local ecosystem. Comparisons of the feeding spectra of yellowfin tuna between inshore regions of St Helena and oceanic seamounts demonstrated that in both areas the species was largely piscivorous. In inshore waters yellowfin consumed more neritic fauna, including significant numbers of crab megalopa, whereas around seamounts the diet included a greater diversity of epi- and mesopelagic fish and squids. The most important fish prey species in inshore waters was the St Helena butterflyfish Chaetodon sanctahelenae, and around seamounts was the pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus. Results indicate that the diet spectrum of yellowfin tuna in St Helena waters is relatively similar to those of conspecifics living in waters with relatively low productivity, with strategies indicative of food-poor ecosystems. The availability of coastal fauna may make areas around islands and seamounts more attractive for feeding aggregations of yellowfin tuna, compared to the open ocean. The relatively unselective feeding of yellowfin tuna means that stomachs can provide valuable data on the species diversity, particularly in remote areas with limited opportunities for dedicated research expeditions.     

Multivariate effects on seabird bycatch in the legal Patagonian toothfish longline fishery around Crozet and Kerguelen Islands

The effects of temporal, spatial, environmental and operational effects on seabird incidental mortality in the legal Patagonian toothfish longline fishery operating, between 2003 and 2006, in French exclusive economic zones of Crozet and Kerguelen Islands were analysed. During the study period, the mean bycatch rate varied from 0.05 to 0.12 birds per 1,000 hooks. Two species were concerned by incidental mortality: white-chinned petrels (88%) and grey petrels (11.5%). Males of white-chinned petrel seemed more at a risk than females. Logbooks data tended to underreport mortality when compared with dedicated fishery observers. The results indicate that temporal (season or phenology) and spatial (area) factors reflecting mortality risk for seabirds played the most significant role in the incidental mortality of the two species. Operational (integrated weight mainline, number of scaring lines and number of hooks hauled) and environmental factors (wind/vessel angle, moon brightness) were also influential, although less significantly, in increasing this mortality risk. Our two steps analyses by separately modelling the probability of presence and the abundance given presence suggest that the decrease in seabird bycatch over the period was mainly due to an important decrease in probability (occurrence) of mortality.