McClellan Catherine M, Read Andrew J, Price Blake A, Cluse Wendy M, Godfrey Matthew H
Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, USA.
Ecol Appl. 2009 Sep;19(6):1660-71. doi: 10.1890/08-1091.1.
The unintended bycatch of long-lived marine species in fishing gear is an important global conservation issue. One suite of management approaches used to address this problem restricts or modifies fishing practices in areas where the probability of bycatch is believed to be high. Information on the distribution and behavior of the bycaught species is a desirable component of any such scheme, but such observations are often lacking. We describe a spatially explicit approach that combines data on the distribution of fishing effort and observations of the distribution of bycatch species derived from satellite telemetry. In a case study, we used a spatially explicit predator-prey model to investigate real-time interactions between three species of sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, and Lepidochelys kempii) and the fall large-mesh gill net fishery that targets southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina between 2002 and 2004. The model calculates a spatial overlap index, thereby allowing us to identify which fishing areas have the greatest risk of encountering bycatch. In this study, our telemetry deployments (n = 50) were designed specifically to address existing fisheries conservation measures in Pamlico Sound intended to reduce sea turtle bycatch. We were able to predict the spatial distribution of bycatch and evaluate management measures. This approach offers a powerful tool to managers faced with the need to reduce bycatch.
渔具中意外兼捕长寿命海洋物种是一个重要的全球保护问题。用于解决这一问题的一套管理方法是在被认为兼捕可能性高的区域限制或修改捕鱼作业。关于兼捕物种分布和行为的信息是任何此类计划中理想的组成部分，但此类观测往往缺乏。我们描述了一种空间明确的方法，该方法结合了捕捞努力分布数据和源自卫星遥测的兼捕物种分布观测数据。在一个案例研究中，我们使用了一个空间明确的捕食者 - 猎物模型来研究三种海龟（蠵龟、绿海龟和肯氏龟）与2002年至2004年期间在北卡罗来纳州帕姆利科湾以南方鲆（南方鲆）为目标的秋季大网目刺网渔业之间的实时相互作用。该模型计算一个空间重叠指数，从而使我们能够确定哪些捕捞区域遭遇兼捕的风险最大。在本研究中，我们的遥测部署（n = 50）专门设计用于应对帕姆利科湾旨在减少海龟兼捕的现有渔业保护措施。我们能够预测兼捕的空间分布并评估管理措施。这种方法为面临减少兼捕需求的管理人员提供了一个强大的工具。
