Length-Based Assessment of an Artisanal Albulid Fishery in the South Pacific: a Data-Limited Approach for Management and Conservation

Data-limited fisheries assessment methods have great potential to help inform small island communi

Substantial impacts of subsistence fishing on the population status of an Endangered reef predator at a remote coral atoll

Napoleon wrasse Cheilinus undulatus has declined drastically throughout most of its range, owing, in large part, to overexploitation. In Anaa, French Polynesia, the species is harvested as part of the subsistence catch by fishers using rockpile traps, spearguns, handmade harpoons, and baited handlines. We sampled 70 Napoleon wrasse captured by artisanal fishers of Anaa between 2015 and 2018 to assess the status of this population, and we applied data-poor fisheries models to assess the stock status of this iconic reef predator. The species was determined to be overexploited at a rate of 0.82 based on values of natural (0.14; Hoenig method) and fishing (0.58; difference of total and natural mortality) mortality as components of total mortality (0.72; Beverton-Holt estimation). The left-skewed length distribution (mean = 36 ± 13 cm SL) suggested an under-representation of large adults in the population, which would predominantly be terminal males in this sequentially hermaphroditic protogynous fish. This was not considered to be reflective of poor sel

Data from: Effects of gear restriction on the abundance of juvenile fishes along sandy beaches in Hawai'i

In 2007, due to growing concerns of declines in nearshore fisheries in Hawai‘i, a ban on gillnets was implemented in designated areas around the island of O‘ahu in the main Hawaiian Islands. Utilizing a 17 year time-series of juvenile fish abundance beginning prior to the implementation of the gillnet ban, we examined the effects of the ban on the abundance of juveniles of soft-bottom associated fish species. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) sampling design, we compared the abundance of targeted fishery species in a bay where gillnet fishing was banned (Kailua, O‘ahu), and an adjacent bay where fishing is still permitted (Waimānalo, O‘ahu). Our results show that when multiple juvenile fish species were combined, abundance declined over time in both locations, but the pattern varied for each of the four species groups examined. Bonefishes were the only species group with a significant BACI effect, with higher abundance in Kailua in the period after the gillnet ban. This study addressed a need for scientific assessment of a fisheries regulation that is rarely possible due to lack of quality data before enactment of such restrictions. Thus, we developed a baseline status of juveniles of an important fishery species, and found effects of a fishery management regulation in Hawai‘i

Population dynamics of roundjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta at a remote coralline Atoll inform community-based management in an artisanal fishery

Fisheries management requires knowledge on the population dynamics of exploited stocks. To that end, the present study used a mark–recapture approach to characterise the population demographics of roundjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta (Forsskål) and their interaction with a data-limite

Factors influencing postrelease predation for a catch-and-release tropical flats fishery with a high predator burden

Postrelease predation (PRP) of fishes released by anglers is a potentially significant contributo

Effects of Gear Restriction on the Abundance of Juvenile Fishes along Sandy Beaches in Hawai'i.

In 2007, due to growing concerns of declines in nearshore fisheries in Hawai'i, a ban on gillnets was implemented in designated areas around the island of O'ahu in the main Hawaiian Islands. Utilizing a 17 year time-series of juvenile fish abundance beginning prior to the implementation of the gillnet ban, we examined the effects of the ban on the abundance of juveniles of soft-bottom associated fish species. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) sampling design, we compared the abundance of targeted fishery species in a bay where gillnet fishing was banned (Kailua, O'ahu), and an adjacent bay where fishing is still permitted (Waimānalo, O'ahu). Our results show that when multiple juvenile fish species were combined, abundance declined over time in both locations, but the pattern varied for each of the four species groups examined. Bonefishes were the only species group with a significant BACI effect, with higher abundance in Kailua in the period after the gillnet ban. This study addressed a need for scientific assessment of a fisheries regulation that is rarely possible due to lack of quality data before enactment of such restrictions. Thus, we developed a baseline status of juveniles of an important fishery species, and found effects of a fishery management regulation in Hawai'i

beach_seine_BACI

beach_seine_BACI.csv is a comma-separated file containing data from beach seine surveys of juvenile fish populations from two sites on windward side of Oahu, Hawai

Map of study area showing gillnet prohibited area (hatched area) in Kailua Bay and open area in Waimanalo Bay (A) on the island of O‘ahu in Hawai‘i (B).

<p>Red circles show sampling locations, and depth contours are colored from light (shallow) to dark (deep).</p

Commercial landings of bonefishes from 1900, and 1965–2011 for the island of O‘ahu.

<p>Vertical line represents gillnet ban in Kailua in 2007. Data from 1903 from [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0155221#pone.0155221.ref055" target="_blank">55</a>], and otherwise from Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources.</p

Trend component of decomposed time series of catch per unit effort (CPUE) at two locations, Kailua (blue) and Waimānalo (black), for (A) all species combined, (B) jacks, (C) bonefishes, (D) flagtails, and (E) Pacific threadfin.

<p>Vertical line represents gillnet ban in Kailua in 2007</p