Effects of recreational and commercial fishing on blue sharks (Prionace glauca) in Atlantic Canada, with inferences on the North Atlantic population

Abstract

The nominal catch of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) reported for the Canadian Atlantic grossly underestimates the annual catch mortality of about 1000 tonnes (t), making blue sharks the most frequently caught large shark in Canadian waters. Although blue sharks accounted for 99% of all sharks landed at recreational shark fishing tournaments, tournament catches accounted for only 3% of total fishing mortality. Standardized catch rate indices suggested a decline in blue shark abundance of about 5%–6%·year–1 since 1995. An increased mortality rate in recent years was suggested by a decline in the median size of blue sharks in the commercial catch. Two independent calculations suggest that North Atlantic catches exceeded 100 000 t, with catch mortalities ranging between 26 000 and 37 000 t. Because tagging studies indicated that blue sharks are highly migratory with a single population in the North Atlantic, the Canadian contribution to overall population mortality accounts for only 2% of the total. The fact that blue shark populations are relatively productive and resilient may help explain their persistence in the face of high international catch mortality and a decline in relative abundance.