Inter‐ and intra‐specific interactions affecting crustacean trap fisheries—Implications for management

Abstract

AbstractThe UK coastal trap fisheries target two key species, European lobster Homarus gammarus (L.) and brown crab Cancer pagurus L. Their stock status is assessed periodically using size‐based, yield‐per‐recruit analysis. Fishery trends are described using landings and, where available, effort data to estimate catch per unit of effort (CPUE), nominally proportional to abundance. Despite being caught together, assessments assume that concurrent capture of these species does not distort their individual CPUE estimates. Here, an in situ experiment tested impacts of inter‐specific and intra‐specific interactions by pre‐loading baited traps with different species and observing subsequent catches. Pre‐loaded European lobster significantly reduced brown crab catches, whereas, other species produced no such effects. The findings highlight the likely inconsistency of using CPUE as an index of abundance if landings data originate from a mixed‐species fishery in which species interactions and targeting behaviour of fishers are unknown or un‐quantified.