scholarly journals Commercial fishing gear modifications to reduce interactions between Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and the southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) fishery in North Carolina (USA)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C Levesque ◽  
Christian Hager ◽  
Eric Diaddorio ◽  
R. Jason Dickey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Paralichthys Lethostigma ◽  
Southern Flounder ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Fishery Interactions ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Bycatch of protected species in commercial fishing operations is a primary concern to fishery managers because it threatens the conservation, protection, and recovery of fragile species, such as the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). One potential solution to reduce the risk associated with commercial fishing operations is to design commercial fishing gear that is more selective in terms of interactions between Atlantic sturgeon and commercial fisheries. Given the need to reduce commercial fishery interactions, the overarching goal was to reduce Atlantic sturgeon fishery interactions and maintain southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) catch in North Carolina. The specific objectives of this study were to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a modified gillnet. Overall, the results proved that lowering the profile and amount of webbing had a beneficial impact at reducing Atlantic sturgeon encounters and bycatch. The modified gillnet reduced bycatch and Atlantic sturgeon encounters by 49.4% and 60.9%, respectively. We also found the modified gear entangled 51.6% less southern flounder, which corresponded to a 32% reduction in total weight; the experimental sections entangled slightly larger individuals than the control sections. Our findings showed the number of Atlantic sturgeon encounters was positively associated with mean water depth, with more Atlantic sturgeon encountered in deeper than shallower waters; 75% were encountered at depths between 4.6 and 6.1 m. In addition, we found that 41% of the Atlantic sturgeon encountered were in warmer (26‒30°C) than colder water.

scholarly journals Commercial fishing gear modifications to reduce interactions between Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and the southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) fishery in North Carolina (USA)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C Levesque ◽  
Christian Hager ◽  
Eric Diaddorio ◽  
R. Jason Dickey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Paralichthys Lethostigma ◽  
Southern Flounder ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Fishery Interactions ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Bycatch of protected species in commercial fishing operations is a primary concern to fishery managers because it threatens the conservation, protection, and recovery of fragile species, such as the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). One potential solution to reduce the risk associated with commercial fishing operations is to design commercial fishing gear that is more selective in terms of interactions between Atlantic sturgeon and commercial fisheries. Given the need to reduce commercial fishery interactions, the overarching goal was to reduce Atlantic sturgeon fishery interactions and maintain southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) catch in North Carolina. The specific objectives of this study were to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a modified gillnet. Overall, the results proved that lowering the profile and amount of webbing had a beneficial impact at reducing Atlantic sturgeon encounters and bycatch. The modified gillnet reduced bycatch and Atlantic sturgeon encounters by 49.4% and 60.9%, respectively. We also found the modified gear entangled 51.6% less southern flounder, which corresponded to a 32% reduction in total weight; the experimental sections entangled slightly larger individuals than the control sections. Our findings showed the number of Atlantic sturgeon encounters was positively associated with mean water depth, with more Atlantic sturgeon encountered in deeper than shallower waters; 75% were encountered at depths between 4.6 and 6.1 m. In addition, we found that 41% of the Atlantic sturgeon encountered were in warmer (26‒30°C) than colder water.

scholarly journals Commercial fishing gear modifications to reduce interactions between Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and the southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) fishery in North Carolina (USA)

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C. Levesque ◽  
Christian Hager ◽  
Eric Diaddorio ◽  
R. Jason Dickey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Paralichthys Lethostigma ◽  
Southern Flounder ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Bycatch of protected species in commercial fishing operations is a primary concern to fishery managers because it threatens the conservation, protection, and recovery of fragile species, such as the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). One potential solution to reduce the risk associated with commercial fishing operations is to design commercial fishing gear that is more selective in terms of interactions between Atlantic sturgeon and commercial fisheries. Given this conservation and management need, the overarching goal was to reduce Atlantic sturgeon fishery interactions and maintain southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) catch in North Carolina. The specific objectives of this study were to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a modified gillnet. Overall, the results proved that lowering the profile and amount of webbing had a beneficial impact at reducing Atlantic sturgeon incidental encounters and bycatch. The modified gillnet reduced bycatch and Atlantic sturgeon encounters by 39.6% and 60.9%, respectively. Our design entangled 51.6% fewer southern flounder, which corresponded to a 48.9% reduction in total weight; the modified gear entangled slightly larger southern flounder than the control gear. Our findings showed the number of Atlantic sturgeon encounters was positively associated with mean water depth, with more Atlantic sturgeon encountered in deeper (5.1–6.3 m) than shallower waters; 75% were encountered at depths between 4.6 and 6.1 m. Most southern flounder (n= 518, 39.7%) were taken at a water depth between 3.76 and 5.0 m. This observation suggests that southern flounder prefer slightly shallower waters than Atlantic sturgeon.

Anadromous Sturgeons: Habitats, Threats, and Management

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Coastal Fisheries ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
The U.S

<em>Abstract.</em>—Large-scale commercial fisheries for Atlantic sturgeon <em>Acipenser oxyrinchus</em> in the late 1880s eventually led to substantial reductions in the population size. The coastwide Atlantic sturgeon population of the United States has not recovered to the levels seen prior to the 1900s. A number of factors have contributed to the slow recovery or continued decline of Atlantic sturgeon populations, including continued commercial fishing and the targeting of females for caviar, bycatch in other fisheries, and changes in habitat due to dam construction and water quality degradation. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) developed the first coastwide management plan for Atlantic sturgeon in 1990. In response to the shortcomings of that plan, the ASMFC applied new standards and the authority granted to it by the U.S. Congress to adopt a coastwide moratorium on all harvesting in 1998. A federal status review conducted in 1998 concluded that the continued existence of Atlantic sturgeon was not threatened given the situation at the time. Since then, monitoring programs have indicated varying levels of relative abundance in several water bodies along the Atlantic coast. The U.S. government is responsible for undertaking a status review to document any changes since the last review and determining whether those findings warrant a threatened or endangered listing for the species. The government’s findings may have far-reaching effects on many other Atlantic coastal fisheries.

Winter winds and river discharge determine juvenile southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) recruitment and distribution in North Carolina estuaries

2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 15-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Christopher Taylor ◽  
John M. Miller ◽  
Leonard J. Pietrafesa ◽  
David A. Dickey ◽  
Steve W. Ross
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Paralichthys Lethostigma ◽  
Southern Flounder

Anadromous Sturgeons: Habitats, Threats, and Management

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Alosa Sapidissima ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Cape Hatteras ◽  
Stock Information ◽  
Mixed Stock ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

<em>Abstract.</em>—Declines in Atlantic sturgeon <em>Acipenser oxyrinchus</em> abundance in the early 1990s led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to prepare a mandatory fishery management plan. The principal management measures are fishery closure, bycatch assessment, and bycatch reduction in other ASMFC-managed fisheries (i.e., American shad <em>Alosa sapidissima</em>). To better understand Atlantic sturgeon geographic distribution and habitat use, as well as risk of bycatch, we examined offshore distribution of Atlantic sturgeon based on incidental captures in winter tagging cruises conducted off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, including in and near extensive sand shoals adjacent to Oregon Inlet and Cape Hatteras. From 1988 to 2006, 146 juvenile Atlantic sturgeon were captured by bottom trawling in depths from 9.1 to 21.3 m. Numbers of Atlantic sturgeon captured and tagged in a given year ranged from 0 (1993, 1995) to 29 (2006). Atlantic sturgeon were encountered in 4.2% of tows, with the percentage varying from 0 in 1993 and 1995 to 12.6% in 1988. Capture patterns suggested that Atlantic sturgeon were likely aggregating to some degree. Total lengths of captured Atlantic sturgeon ranged from 577 to 1,517 mm (mean of 967 mm), suggesting that most fish were juveniles. Limited tag returns and genetic data suggest that fish wintering off North Carolina constitute a mixed stock. Information about their distribution and habitat utilization should benefit fishery managers seeking to reduce bycatch and protect key habitats.

scholarly journals Reintroduction of sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus, in the Gulf of Riga, East-Central Baltic Sea

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santa Purvina ◽  
Ruta Medne
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
East Central ◽  
Gulf Of Riga ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
Sufficient Food

Abstract Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus Mitchill, inhabited and spawned in the territorial waters of Latvia from the early Neolithic. The A. oxyrinchus population in this area started to decline from the end of seventeenth century. By the twentieth century, just several sturgeon catches were documented. In 2012, Latvia joined the initiative to reintroduce native A. oxyrinchus. From 2013 to 2015, the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment (BIOR) released 4,500 A. oxyrinchus juveniles aged 1+ and 2+. The majority of sturgeon juveniles released inhabit the Gulf of Riga and Pärnu Bay and marine areas among the Estonian islands. Nearly all of the sturgeon released exhibit remarkable growth. The absence of visible pathologies suggests that the A. oxyrinchus individuals are in excellent condition. Increases in size and the absence of visible pathologies also suggest that A. oxyrinchus has a sufficient food base. Additionally, results indicate that there is free space in the food web for native Atlantic sturgeon. Sturgeon is caught primarily in salmon traps and other commercial fishing nets deployed at depths of 4-10mor by anglers. While we do not have complete information about the fates (dead or alive) of all sturgeons caught, approximately half of them that were reported by fishers were released back into the sea alive and healthy.

Influence of food and predation on the depth distribution of juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) in tidal nurseries

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 971-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Miltner ◽  
Steve W. Ross ◽  
Martin H. Posey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Depth Distribution ◽  
Leiostomus Xanthurus ◽  
Tidal Creeks ◽  
Paralichthys Lethostigma ◽  
Southern Flounder ◽  
Influence Of Food ◽  
Young Of The Year

Relative abundances of young-of-the-year (YOY) spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) sampled by trawling in two tidal creeks on Masonboro Island, North Carolina, were highest in the shallow creek margins. Abundances of benthic invertebrates sampled by cores in one of the study creeks, were also maximal at the creek margin. Polychaetes associated with the creek margin composed the largest fraction of spot diets, indicating spot located in the creek margins were in the area of highest food availability. Spot predators sampled by trawling and seining were uncommon and were primarily juvenile (75–200 mm total length) southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), hake (Urophycis spp.), and bluefish (Pomotomus saltatrix). Large YOY spot experienced a size refuge from predation, as only small YOY spot were found in predator stomachs. In laboratory experiments testing the effects of the presence of a predator, food, or both food and predators on the depth distribution of YOY spot, food had a stronger effect on spot distributions than predators The results of field observations and laboratory experiments suggest food has the strongest effect on spot distribution in the field, and that food is relatively more important than refuge from predation to the nursery function of shallow estuarine habitats.

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