Fishing and Harvesting of Aquatic

Maine 2015 Wildlife Action Plan Revision

Report Date: January 13, 2016

SGCN and Habitat Stressors

Level 1 Threat

Biological Resource Use

Level 2 Threat:
Fishing and Harvesting of Aquatic Resources

Harvesting aquatic wild animals or plants for commercial, recreation, subsistence, research, or cultural purposes, or for control/persecution reasons; includes accidental mortality/bycatch

Description:
Total SGCN: 1: 21 2: 48 3:

Species Associated With This Stressor:

Class

SGCN Category

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)

Alosa pseudoharengus (Alewife)

Species:

2

Moderate Severity

Moderately actionable

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Extraction and mortality rates differ widely among Maine runs. Implementing voluntary conservation measures, such as continuous escapement or not fishing the run during the first week, can help ensure sustainable harvests

Anguilla rostrata (American Eel)

Species:

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Commercial and Recreational harvest can be effectively regulated or minimized, however timescale of effect on adult spawning populations is long

Alosa sapidissima (American Shad)

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Thunnus thynnus (Atlantic Bluefin Tuna)

Species: Species:
2

Severe

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

While fishing mortality in the Western Atlantic has been effectively reduced based on TACs and other measures, fishing mortality continues to be very high in the Eastern Atlantic. The species is also susceptible as bycatch in longlining and other pelagic fishing.

Gadus morhua (Atlantic Cod)

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Historic heavy fishing pressure has drastically reduced Atlantic cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Maine waters. Past fishing on spawning aggregations likely extirpated local populations. While there are current regulatory measures in place that severely limit cod fishing and the landing of cod, the stocks may be too far reduced to recover, and further limits on catch may have minimal impact.

Acipenser oxyrinchus (Atlantic Sturgeon)

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

While no directed fishing is allowed, some bycatch occurs and can be fatal (especially in trawler fleets).

Anarhichas lupus (Atlantic Wolffish)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Commercial fishing for, landing, or take of Atlantic wolffish is not permitted in Maine waters, but some bycatch likely occurs. Wolffish are caught in lobster traps and can be released live if handled properly.

Alosa aestivalis (Blueback Herring)

Species:

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Fishing And Harvesting Of Aquatic Resources Group Page 1 of 13

SGCN Stressors Report - Page 1 of 13

Level 1 Threat

Level 2 Threat:

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)

Brosme brosme (Cusk)

Class

SGCN Category

Species:

Species:
2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Historic heavy fishing pressure has drastically reduced cusk stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Maine waters. There are currently no regulatory measures in place to limit commercial cusk take, however, annual landings are small and few fishermen report landings.

Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Haddock)

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Historic heavy fishing pressure has drastically reduced haddock stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Maine waters. While there are current regulatory measures in place that limit haddock fishing, recent stock assessments for the Gulf of Maine found that the stocks may be recovering and that overfishing is not occuring

Osmerus mordax (Rainbow Smelt)

Species:

1

Moderate Severity

Highly actionable

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Acipenser brevirostrum (Shortnose Sturgeon)

1

Moderate Severity

Actionable with difficulty

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Directed fishing is prohibited but some bycatch occurs and can lead to mortality especially in trawl nets.

Morone saxatilis (Striped Bass)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Extraction rates may be low in some cases but mortality rates are high in some populations. Regulations can be implemented to close fisheries and effect is measurable within 2-3 generations of the population, but may be difficult to implement.

Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Winter Flounder)

Species:

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Historic heavy fishing pressure has drastically reduced haddock stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Maine waters. While there are current regulatory measures in place that limit haddock fishing, recent stock assessments for the Gulf of Maine found that the stocks may be recovering and that overfishing is not occuring

Class Class
SGCN Category
2

Anthozoa (Corals, Sea Pens, Sea Fans, Sea Anemones)

Gersemia rubiformis (Sea Strawberry)

Species:

Severe

Highly actionable

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Unintentional catch by commercial bottom trawling reduces population size and subsequently results in local extinctions faciliated by low growth rates, impaired role of the functional group "suspension feeders".

SGCN Category

2

Asteroidea (Sea Stars)

Asterias rubens (Common Sea Star)

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Unintentional by-catch by commercial bottom trawling reduces this top predator population and subsequently results in decreased benthic diversity through trophic cascades and thus decreases the availability of food for other species

Level 1 Threat

Level 2 Threat:

Asteroidea (Sea Stars)

Class

SGCN Category

Crossaster papposus (Common Sun Star)

Species:

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Large-scale, unintentional by-catch of commercial bottom trawling reduces this top predator population and subsequently results in decreased benthic diversity through trophic cascades and thus decreases the availability of food for other species. Likelihood is high (high certainty) and large-scale (throughout the region), so actionability is low, but moderate in new areas for developing bottom trawl fisheries.

Asterias forbesi (Forbes's Starfish)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Unintentional by-catch by commercial bottom trawling reduces this top predator population and subsequently results in decreased benthic diversity through trophic cascades and thus decreases the availability of food for other species.

Solaster endeca (Purple Sunstar)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Large-scale, unintentional by-catch of commercial bottom trawling reduces this top predator population and subsequently results in decreased benthic diversity through trophic cascades and thus decreases the availability of food for other species. Likelihood is high (high certainty) and large-scale (throughout the region), so actionability is low, but moderate in new areas for developing bottom trawl fisheries.

Stephanasterias albula (White Sea Star)

Species:

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Unintentional by-catch by commercial bottom trawling reduces this top predator population and subsequently results in decreased benthic diversity through trophic cascades and thus decreases the availability of food for other species.

Class

SGCN Category

1

Aves (Birds)

Sterna paradisaea (Arctic Tern)

Species:

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Competiton for prey items by commercial fishermen and disturbance

Fratercula arctica (Atlantic Puffin)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Prey base is highly sought after by commercial fishing industry and fishing related disturbance

Sterna hirundo (Common Tern)

2

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Prey availability issues as many important foods are commerical valuable fish resources and disturbance associated with these activities

Phalacrocorax carbo (Great Cormorant)

Species:

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Competion with commercial interestts for prey items and disturbance

Histrionicus histrionicus (Harlequin Duck)

1

Moderate Severity

Highly actionable

Actionability:
Severity: Notes:
Actionability:

Activities can alter habitat and behavior

Calidris maritima (Purple Sandpiper)

1

Moderate Severity

Severity: Notes:

Activities can alter habitat and behavior

Level 1 Threat

Level 2 Threat:

Aves (Birds)

Class

SGCN Category

Alca torda (Razorbill)

Species:

21

1

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Competiton for important prey items by commerical fisheries and fishing related disturbances

Calidris canutus rufa (Red Knot)

Moderate Severity

Highly actionable

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Activities in the intertidal areas can impact habitat and behavior.

Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern)

Moderate Severity

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Prey availabiltiy issues as many important foods are also commercially valuable and overfishing of these stocks becomes an issue; and disturbance associated with these fishing activities

Arenaria interpres (Ruddy Turnstone)

2

Moderate Severity

Highly actionable

Actionability:

Severity:

Notes:

Activities in the intertidal areas can impact habitat and behavior.

Calidris alba (Sanderling)