Leatherback bycatch in an eastern Caribbean artisanal longline fishery

D Connor Blades,Ja Horrocks,J Walcott

doi:10.3354/esr01000

Abstract

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 40:329-335 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01000 ESR Special: Marine vertebrate bycatch: problems and solutions Leatherback bycatch in an eastern Caribbean artisanal longline fishery D. Connor Blades1, J. Walcott2, J. A. Horrocks1,* 1Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St Michael, Barbados BB 11000 2Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St Michael, Barbados BB 11000 *Corresponding author: julia.horrocks@cavehill.uwi.edu ABSTRACT: Overlap of small-scale fisheries with sea turtle high-use areas is of growing concern, but the extent to which these endangered species interact with fishing gear is rarely known. Structured face-to-face interviews with 22 longline vessel captains were used to make a rapid assessment of sea turtle bycatch by the artisanal longline fleet of Barbados in the eastern Caribbean. Extrapolated estimates suggested that an average of 284 sea turtles yr-1 were caught on 1896200 hooks, a bycatch per unit effort of 0.15. Based on extrapolation of the percentage of the observed vessels to the entire fleet, an estimated average of 374 sea turtles yr-1 are caught. The majority of captains (86%) reported leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea to be the predominant species. The Barbados longline fleet operates in sea areas through which leatherbacks pass on their way to and from important nesting beaches in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and the Guianas, and in which they reside during the pre-nesting period as well as throughout the nesting season. Although most sea turtles caught as bycatch were released alive, they often remained hooked with trailing lines. The majority of captains expressed their willingness to be trained in safe-handling and release of hooked and entangled turtles, to increase the probability of their survival. KEY WORDS: Eastern Caribbean · Sea turtle · Dermochelys coriacea · Artisanal fishery · Survey Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Connor Blades D, Walcott J, Horrocks JA (2019) Leatherback bycatch in an eastern Caribbean artisanal longline fishery. Endang Species Res 40:329-335. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01000 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 40. Online publication date: December 19, 2019 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.

Highlights

Sea turtles must return to land to reproduce, and are vulnerable to incidental capture in both offshore and nearshore fisheries (Casale et al 2010, Wallace et al 2010, Hamelin et al 2017, AlfaroShigueto et al 2018)
Assessment of the extent and the spatial distribution of bycatch is an essential element in the conservation of endangered sea turtles
Wallace et al (2010) reported about 85 000 incidents of sea turtle bycatch over a 20 yr period globally, including 1384 incidents of longline bycatch in the Caribbean region

Summary

Introduction

Sea turtles must return to land to reproduce, and are vulnerable to incidental capture in both offshore and nearshore fisheries (Casale et al 2010, Wallace et al 2010, Hamelin et al 2017, AlfaroShigueto et al 2018). Adult male and female leatherbacks, satellite tracked from Canada, migrate in late fall to specific high seas areas between 10−15° N and ~40−60° W before transiting to waters closer to the beaches where nesting takes place (Bond & James 2017). Females make their first nests in late March, and remain in the region until the end of August (Eckert 2006). Male leatherbacks begin their northward migration at the peak of the nesting season in May (James et al 2005)

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Conclusion