Vulnerability of elasmobranchs caught by artisanal fishery in the Southeastern Caribbean

Abstract

The Caribbean is recognized as one of the regions with significant elasmobranch diversity; however, the lack of scientific data has made it difficult to conduct traditional fish stock assessments. A Productivity Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) was used to evaluate the vulnerability of the most important elasmobranch species caught by artisanal fishery carried out in the northeastern region of Venezuela. The fishing database created by the INIA and CIT was used as a starting point to obtain catch composition, and biological and fishing information. Of the 37 elasmobranch species captured in the study area, 12 were selected for the PSA. Analysis indicated that the selected species, most of them small-sized sharks, had medium and high productivity; while all species evaluated showed high susceptibility to artisanal fishing. Among the elasmobranch species with high vulnerability, seven of them comprised five sharks (C. limbatus, R. lalandii, R. porosus, C. brevipinna and C. acronotus) and two batoids (H. guttatus and A. narinari). Elasmobranchs species with medium vulnerability included two sharks (M. higmani and M. minicanis) and one batoid (H. americanus); while those with low vulnerability comprised two shark species (M canis and M. norrisi). In the study area, elasmobranch fishing has been carried out for decades without effective management strategies, and the artisanal fishery poses a potential threat to the populations of this group of fish. The species identified in this study as having high vulnerability or risk should be immediately prioritised for serious management by the national agencies responsible for fishing administration.