Bottomfish Habitat and Restricted Fishing Area Analysis

Transcription

1 Bottomfish Habitat and Restricted Fishing Area Analysis Robert O Conner, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Chris Kelley, Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii

2 Study Area

3 Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Definition The U.S. Congress defined EFH as "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity" (16 U.S.C. 1802(10)). The EFH guidelines under 50 CFR further interpret the EFH definition as follows: Waters include aquatic areas and their associated physical, chemical, and biological properties that are used by fish and may include aquatic areas historically used by fish where appropriate; substrate includes sediment, hard bottom, structures underlying the waters, and associated biological communities; necessary means the habitat required to support a sustainable fishery and the managed species' contribution to a healthy ecosystem; and "spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity" covers a species' full life cycle. Current EFH Depth Range: 100 to 400 meters within EEZ Adults Juveniles Larvae

4 Research Based EFH Boundaries Species Recommended EFH Ehu (Etelis carbunculus) Onaga (Etelis coruscans) Gindai (Pristipomoides zonatus) Kale (Pristipomoides sieboldii) Opaka (Pristipomoides filamentosus) Hapu (Epinephelus quernus) Lehi (Aphareus rutilans)

5 Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) Definition All slopes and escarpments between meters. Three known areas of juvenile Opakapaka (two off Oahu and one off Molokai).

6 Creation of New Reserve Assumptions and Implications Geographic Assumptions There is connectivity between MHI and NWHI (complete larval transport or stepping stone larval transport). There is connectivity between banks of MHI and adult movement is primarily restricted to individual banks. Therefore reserves should exist throughout the MHI and there should be at least one per bank. Species Priority Assumptions Onaga and Ehu are most vulnerable to overfishing (form dense schools, Ehu caught day or night, Onaga are slow to reproduce) Hapu and Paka are next most vulnerable (Hapu are endemic and protogynous while Paka form dense schools and have generally shallower habitats) t Reserves should serve the needs of Onaga, then Ehu, Hapu, and Paka. Reserves should cover entire EFH depth range ( meters).

7 Creation of New Reserve Assumptions and Implications Habitat Assumptions Bottomfish species prefer hard/rocky substrate. Onaga and Ehus aggregate on top of rocky features and feed in the water column while Hapus and Pakas remain closer to the substrate. Pinnacles, Drowned Reefs/Shorelines, Ridges/Promontories, and Canyons should be candidates for reserves both at deep and shallow depths within the EFH. Connectivity and Enhancement Assumptions Reserve size and location should be such that it benefits surrounding fishing areas. Adult habitats function as natural hatcheries and are a source for eggs and larvae. Reserve design should take into account benefit to other reserves. Connectivity it exists via larval l transport t which h patterns are largely l unknown. Reserves should encompass both pinnacles and portions of slopes

8 Assumptions Creation of Bottomfish Reserves Enforcement 1) The smaller the number of reserves, the more enforceable 2) The larger the size of the reserves, the more enforceable 3) Reserves closer to land are more enforceable 4) Reserves near population centers or lookouts are more enforceable 5) Violators should be detectable from land 6) Relying on fishermen to report their own is in-effective Implications 1) Reserves should be the smallest number, the largest size, the closest to land, and the closest to population p centers/lookouts as possible

9 Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) Examples Based on Geologic Features Canyons Promontories & Ridges Pinnacles Inside EFH Range Pinnacles Outside EFH Range

10 Data Acquisition

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13 Onaga (Etelis coruscans) Essential Fish Habitat Depth Range

14 High Slopes

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23 Analysis of Old Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas

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29 Ground Truthing Data

30 Commercial Bottomfish Catch Data

31 Example Current Patterns

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33 Federal vs State Boundary Analysis

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38 Main Hawaiian Island Bottomfish Habitat Analysis Proposed RFAWithi Within Federal Waters EFH vs Total Federal Waters EFH

39 Main Hawaiian Island Bottomfish Habitat Analysis Proposed RFAWithi Within Federal Waters EFH vs Total Federal Waters EFH units = km2 Maui Middle Oahu Niihau Kaula Kauai Big Island Totals total efh fed efh stateefh efh fed percentage 57.6% 100.0% 48.5% 12.8% 53.7% 20.7% 43.1% 50.3% state percentage 42.4% 0.0% 51.5% 87.2% 46.3% 79.3% 56.9% 49.7%

40 MHI Bottomfish Habitat Analysis HAPCs within Existing and Proposed RFAs Onaga and Ehu HAPCs within Existing RFAs Bank RFA Terrace Ingress Egress Pinnacle Combined % flat minor major notch landslide canyon bulge promontory ridge inside outside HAPCs Total Middle % Kaula % Niihau % Kauai % Oahu % Maui % Hawaii Total % Onaga and Ehu HAPCs within Proposed RFAs Bank RFA Terrace Ingress Egress Pinnacle Combined % flat minor major notch landslide canyon bulge promontory ridge inside outside HAPCs Total Middle % Kaula % Niihau % Kauai % Oahu % Maui % Hawaii 3 Total % HAPC: Habitat Areas of Particular Concern RFA: Restricted t Fishing Area

41 Current Commercial Catch Boundaries

42 Example New Commercial Catch Boundaries

43 Needs With shallower EFH ranges (to ~ 30 Meters) more bathymetry is needed that is increasingly difficult and therefore expensive to gather. In order for reserves to be effective there must be adequate enforcement and the state lacks additional enforcement resources. Reserve effectiveness could be increased with appropriate penalties for fishing within Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas. Further analysis (Lisbon Effect) Addition of new data (as available)

44 Acknowledgements Chris Kelley, Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), University of Hawaii State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) & Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) Ocean Currents:

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