Fisheries Release Mortality: Knowledge and Research Gaps

Transcription

1 Fisheries Release Mortality: Knowledge and Research Gaps NMFS Office of Science and Technology Silver Spring, MD (A) (B) (C) Lee Benaka 29th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium Anchorage, AK May 13, 2014

2 Background NOAA s Recreational Fisheries Engagement Initiative (RFEI) identified recreational catch/ bycatch, effort, and status data as one of its five goals. The RFEI conducted a series of workshops around the country over the past couple of years, exploring the state of science, identifying gaps in science, and developing recreational fishing best practices to minimize release mortality. U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 2

3 What s the Problem? Recreational and commercial fisheries face continued effort restrictions due to high fishing mortality and slow stock rebuilding processes. Councils have implemented short fishing seasons, closed areas, species-specific non-retention measures, and size limits in response to overfished declarations. Under these restrictive management systems, release mortality and barotrauma can occur, which impedes the rebuilding of overfished stocks. Some fishermen believe that fishing practices and technologies designed to minimize barotrauma and post-release mortality should reduce overall fisheries mortality and in turn lead to increased fishing opportunities. U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 3

4 Definitions Release mortality: the incidence of mortality after a fish has been discarded, which can be influenced by factors including handling time, air exposure, or hook injury. Release mortality can occur soon after discarding, or it can be prolonged. Release mortality also occurs when a fish is dead/near-dead when it is brought on board and then subsequently discarded. U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 4

5 Definitions (continued) Barotrauma: a condition resulting from a change in pressure as some deep-water fish, especially fish with physoclistous gas bladders, are rapidly brought to the surface. Symptoms include stomach eversion and bulging eyes. U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 5

6 Current Effort The NMFS Office of Science and Technology is building on the REFI workshops to help develop a national science strategy on release mortality. NMFS formed a release mortality working group, which was charged to: Develop a draft release mortality white paper Convene a release mortality workshop with significant external participation Finalize the white paper based on workshop results U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 6

7 Release Mortality Workshop (September 2013) Participants Hugues Benoit, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada Jeff Buckel, Paul Rudershausen, North Carolina State University John Budrick, Erica Jarvis, California Department of Fish & Wildlife Patrick Campfield, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Paul Caruso, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Chip Collier, NC Department of Environmental Resources Steven Cooke, Carleton University, Ontario, Canada Andy Danylchuk, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Bob Hannah, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Erica Jarvis, Orange County (California) Sanitation District John Mandelman, New England Aquarium Mike Palmer, NMFS NE Fisheries Science Center Terry Quinn, University of Alaska, Fairbanks Beverly Sauls, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission Gregg Williams, International Pacific Halibut Commission Dan Wolford, Coastside Fishing Club, Pacific Council Greg Stunz, Texas A&M University U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 7

8 White Paper Organization Overview of NMFS-funded release-mortality research by Region Compilation of release mortality estimates used by NMFS Description of approaches to (1) incorporating release mortality assumptions into stock assessments and (2) developing revised post-release mortality assumptions Identification and prioritization of data gaps Identification and prioritization of species-specific research needs Description of best practices and techniques for release mortality research Identification of components of a national release mortality science strategy U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 8

9 Overview of NMFS-Funded Release Mortality Research (53 Projects from ) By region: Southeast (24), Northeast (16), West Coast (8), Alaska (4), Pacific Islands (1) By federal funding source: CRP (15), BREP (14), S-K (11), MARFIN (8), RSA (4), NMFS SW Regional Office (1) Most-studied species: red snapper (5), Atlantic sharks (5), summer flounder (4), Atlantic cod (4), Pacific rockfish (3) U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 9

10 High-Priority Knowledge/Research Gaps Identified at the Workshop (in order of priority) 1. Baseline discard mortality information and an understanding of underlying factors 2. Measures of release mortality in fishery conditions (as opposed to lab conditions) 3. Reliable and robust proxies for mortality (both short-term and long-term) 4. Unaccounted escape mortality 5. Optimal sampling designs for accuracy and precision of discard mortality estimates 6. Communication techniques regarding how discard mortality estimates are created, used, and impact stock assessments, annual catch limits, and management 7. Longer-term impacts of venting and descending devices U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 10

11 Species-Specific Criteria to Guide Allocation of Research Resources The species status as restricted, rare, and/or iconic The species life history and/or PSA results The species economic impact and/or marginal value Assumed F discards as a fraction of F MSY The level of stakeholder engagement and/or political sensitivity regarding the species The amount of data available on the species The extent to which release mortality is an emerging concern for the species U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 11

12 Best Practices and Techniques for Release Mortality Research Outreach: Videos should be high-quality and feature underwater video camera footage Fishing clubs should help disseminate information Tagging: Tagging fish in situ could help minimize behavioral changes that might occur when a fish is caught and handled in the course of tagging Rates of tag-shedding and absorption should be incorporated into release mortality studies U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 12

13 Best Practices and Techniques for Release Mortality Research (continued) Arrays: Tags stop responding when fish move out of acoustic array fields, and researchers should try to estimate whether these tag failures result from fish movement or mortality Researchers should share tag data so that multiple arrays can pick up tag data once a fish leaves its original array field U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 13

14 Next Steps Publish the white paper as a NOAA Technical Memorandum in June Hold a release mortality symposium at August 2014 AFS Annual Meeting Ensure that the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program and other NMFS research initiatives continue to fund release mortality projects. Explore whether recreational fisheries with established release mortality rates can be incorporated into the NMFS National Bycatch Report. Identify additional funding for release mortality research and development of improved release mortality rates for stock assessments. U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 14

15 Questions? Thank you! U.S. Department of Commerce Na4onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4on NOAA Fisheries Page 15