DOCSLIB.ORG

The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan ISSN 2070-7010 FAO 643 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE TECHNICAL PAPER 643 The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan This Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan has been prepared to reverse the trend of declining stocks of billfish species within the Western Central Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas, and to address unsustainable fishing practices. The Members of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Central America Organization for Fishery and Aquaculture (OSPESCA) and the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) are concerned about the billfish stocks in the region. Therefore, they developed together, through the Recreational Fisheries Working Group, and in close collaboration with all key stakeholders in the Consortium on Billfish Management and Conservation (CBMC) this plan in the period 2015–2018. The plan recognizes the mandate of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) over the billfish stocks, and supports the implementation of the ICCAT recommendations in the region. The objective of this Plan is to outline and guide the implementation of a suite of billfish management measures over a five-year period at regional and sub-regional scales to help secure the potential future benefits that can accrue from billfish stocks in the Caribbean. The overarching goal is to improve the management and conservation of billfish stocks. ISBN 978-92-5-131302-2 ISSN 2070-7010 978 9251 313022 FAO CA3366EN/1/02.19 Cover photograph: Courtesy of Captain Stuart Simpson (2016) FAO FISHERIES AND The Caribbean Billfish AQUACULTURE TECHNICAL Management and PAPER Conservation Plan 643 by Roy Bealey Regional Project Coordinator of the Caribbean Billfish Project Bridgetown, Barbados Manuel Pérez Moreno International Fisheries Consultant Managua, Nicaragua and Raymon van Anrooy Fishery Industry Officer Fishing Operations and Technology Branch FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2019 Required citation Bealey, R., Pérez Moreno, M., and Van Anrooy, R. 2019. The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 643. Rome, FAO. 106 pp. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-131302-2 © FAO, 2019 Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/legalcode/legalcode). Under the terms of this licence, this work may be copied, redistributed and adapted for non-commercial purposes, provided that the work is appropriately cited. In any use of this work, there should be no suggestion that FAO endorses any specific organization, products or services. The use of the FAO logo is not permitted. If the work is adapted, then it must be licensed under the same or equivalent Creative Commons licence. If a translation of this work is created, it must include the following disclaimer along with the required citation: “This translation was not created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this translation. The original [Language] edition shall be the authoritative edition. Disputes arising under the licence that cannot be settled amicably will be resolved by mediation and arbitration as described in Article 8 of the licence except as otherwise provided herein. The applicable mediation rules will be the mediation rules of the World Intellectual Property Organization http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/mediation/rules and any arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Third-party materials. Users wishing to reuse material from this work that is attributed to a third party, such as tables, figures or images, are responsible for determining whether permission is needed for that reuse and for obtaining permission from the copyright holder. The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party-owned component in the work rests solely with the user. Sales, rights and licensing. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. Requests for commercial use should be submitted via: www.fao.org/contact- us/licence-request. Queries regarding rights and licensing should be submitted to: [email protected]. iii Preparation of this document The Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan was prepared by Roy Bealey and Manuel Perez Moreno, Regional Project Coordinators of the Caribbean Billfish Project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the years 2015–2018, and Raymon van Anrooy, Secretary of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) in the period 2011–2017, with assistance of many regional fisheries experts. The preparation of this Plan started in 2015, through several desk and field studies conducted by the Caribbean Billfish Project which was financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the World Bank, and executed by FAO/WECAFC. These studies provided background information on the status of billfish resources, potential rights based fishery management approaches, an estimation of the value of billfish species to artisanal, commercial and recreational fisheries and a diagnosis of Caribbean national legal and institutional fisheries frameworks. A primary outline of the Table of Contents and a draft proposal of regional management measures for inclusion within this Management Plan were presented at the 2nd Regional Workshop on Billfish Management and Conservation that took place in November 2015 in the Republic of Panama. A first draft was elaborated by March 2016, following a consultation process with the assistance of the WECAFC/OSPESCA/CRFM/CFMC Working Group on Recreational Fisheries. A second draft was reviewed and technically endorsed during the 3rd Regional Workshop on Billfish Management and Conservation held in Barbados in April 2017. Comments obtained at the 3rd Regional Workshop, as well as further comments from specialists at the World Recreational Fisheries Conference in Canada and from members of the Global Ocean Think Tank (GLOTT) were all incorporated to produce this Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan. The Plan was reviewed and scientifically endorsed by the 8th Session of the WECAFC Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) held in Merida, Mexico in November 2017. The Plan was technically edited by Sjef van Eijs, international fisheries consultant, in the second semester of 2018 and was reviewed for layout and formatted by Marianne Guyonnet and Chorouk Benkabbour at FAO. The Plan was distributed to the WECAFC, CRFM and OSPESCA member governments in late 2018 and early 2019. iv Abstract This Caribbean Billfish Management and Conservation Plan has been prepared to reverse the trend of declining stocks of billfish species within the Western Central Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas, and to address unsustainable fishing practices. The Members of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Central America Organization for Fishery and Aquaculture (OSPESCA) and the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) are concerned about the billfish stocks that are harvested in the region. Therefore, they developed together, through the Recreational Fisheries Working Group, and in close collaboration with all key stakeholders in the Consortium on Billfish Management and Conservation (CBMC) this plan in the period 2015–2018. The plan recognizes the mandate of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) over the billfish stocks, and supports the implementation of the ICCAT recommendations in the region. The objective of this Plan is to outline and guide the implementation of a suite of billfish management measures over a five-year period at regional and sub-regional scales to help secure the potential future benefits that can accrue from billfish stocks in the Caribbean. The overarching goal is to improve the management and conservation of billfish stocks. Specific objectives of the plan include: 1. Improve billfish catch, effort, biological and socio-economic data collection and reporting programs from all fisheries that target these shared stocks; 2. Reduce bycatch, discards and overall fishing mortality of billfishes in order to achieve sustainable stock levels throughout the region; 3. Increase coordination
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fao Species Catalogue
    FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Volume 5 FIR/S125 Vol. 5 FAO SPECIES CATALOGUE VOL. 5. BILLFISHES OF THE WORLD AN ANNOTATED AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF MARLINS, SAILFISHES, SPEARFISHES AND SWORDFISHES KNOWN TO DATE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Volume 5 FIR/S125 Vol.5 FAO SPECIES CATALOGUE VOL. 5 BILLFISHES OF THE WORLD An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Marlins, Sailfishes, Spearfishes and Swordfishes Known to date MarIins, prepared by Izumi Nakamura Fisheries Research Station Kyoto University Maizuru Kyoto 625, Japan Prepared with the support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome 1985 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory. city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. M-42 ISBN 92-5-102232-1 All rights reserved . No part of this publicatlon may be reproduced. stored in a retriewal system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwase, wthout the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • Status of Billfish Resources and the Billfish Fisheries in the Western
    SLC/FIAF/C1127 (En) FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular ISSN 2070-6065 STATUS OF BILLFISH RESOURCES AND BILLFISH FISHERIES IN THE WESTERN CENTRAL ATLANTIC Source: ICCAT (2015) FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1127 SLC/FIAF/C1127 (En) STATUS OF BILLFISH RESOURCES AND BILLFISH FISHERIES IN THE WESTERN CENTRAL ATLANTIC by Nelson Ehrhardt and Mark Fitchett School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami Miami, United States of America FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Bridgetown, Barbados, 2016 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109436-5 © FAO, 2016 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate DFNQRZOHGJHPHQWRI)$2DVWKHVRXUFHDQGFRS\ULJKWKROGHULVJLYHQDQGWKDW)$2¶VHQGRUVHPHQWRI XVHUV¶YLHZVSURGXFWVRUVHUYLFHVLVQRWLPSOLHGLQDQ\ZD\ All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Bermuda's Marine Reserve
    POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF BERMUDA’s MARINE RESERVE ON SPORTFISHING TOURISM The Need to Explore Other Options ECONOMIC RETURNS CAN FLOW TO COASTAL NATIONS that Implement Billfish Conservation Measures Sportfishing eco-tourism is a strong economic driver for communities. Visting anglers are driven by the likelihood of catching a lot of billfish. Anticipated quality of a billfishing trip greatly influences anglers’ destination choices. Anglers most often select fishing destination where commercial fishing is restrained. Responsible management of billfish can maximize catch rates and economic returns to communities. As of 2011, more than 3.2 created Of the visitors who million anglers fished outside visited Panama that did not of the United States (exclud- fish, 30% said they would ing Canada) at least once in be interested in fishing on a the previous five years. Anglers subsequent trip to Panama. have many options when it comes to where they travel to fish, and countries must ISLA MUJERES, give particular attention to the socio-economic benefits MEXICO - Marlin and generated from sportfishing Sport Fishing magazines, both when making decisions that international publications could impact their sportfish- Photo courtesy of Viljoen with widespread circulation in ing industry. With only 0.3% the sportfishing community of these anglers reported to recognized Isla Mujeres, have taken their last fishing Mexico on the Yucatan trip to Bermuda, there is peninsula as being one of great potential for increasing the “most desired sailfishing tourism from sportfishing in destinations.” Marlin rated Bermuda.1 Isla as Number Three among its “Easy Billfish Destinations” to fish for Atlantic sailfish.Sport Fishing magazine rated Isla Mujeres in their “Top 20 Sailfish Hot Spots” of the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Fisheries Series Part II: Commercial Policy & Management for Commercial Fishing
    SAILFISHVERSION 14 TEENS TAKE ON BILLFISH CONSERVATION FISHERIES SERIES Part II: Commercial POLICY & MANAGEMENT for Commercial Fishing All About AQUACULTURE RECAPTURE MAPS Jr. Angler Profile SALES DE LA BARRE Cutler Bay Academy Welcomes The Billfish Foundation & Carey Chen CONTENTS Inside this issue of Sailfish FFEATURESEATURES 3 Fisheries Series Part II: Commercial Fishing 5 Aquaculture 7 Policy & Management of Commercial Fisheries 8 Commercial Fishing Review Questions 9 Cutler Bay Academy Students Enjoy Visit from TBF & Carey Chen 10 Billfish Advocacy at South Broward High ALSO INSIDE Get Involved: Track your school’s climate impact Recapture Maps Jr Angler Profile – Sales de La Barre We would like to extend our gratitude to the Fleming Family Foundation and the William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation for their belief in education as an important conservation tool. The Billfish Founation, educators, students, parents, the ocean and the fish are grateful for our sponsors generous donation that made this issue of Sailfish possible. Copyright 2014 • The Billfish Foundation • Editor: Peter Chaibongsai • Associate Editor: Elizabeth Black • Graphic Designer: Jackie Marsolais Sister Publications: Billfish and Spearfish magazines • Published by The Billfish Foundation • For subscription information contact: [email protected] by Jorie Heilman COMMERCIAL FISHING by Jorie Heilman What provides nutrition to 3 billion people gear advanced, humans could pursue food Top left: Aquacage snapper farm. Top right: Korean fishing boat. Below top to bottom: worldwide and is relied upon by 500 sources that were farther off the coast. Fishing boat in India. Commercial longline boat. Fishermen in the Seychelles. Commercial million people for their livelihoods? The Fish traps and nets were among the fishermen on a dock fixing a net.
    [Show full text]
  • Zootaxa, First Report of Rare Pomfrets (Teleostei: Bramidae) from Brazilian
    Zootaxa 2290: 1–26 (2009) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) First report of rare pomfrets (Teleostei: Bramidae) from Brazilian waters, with a key to Western Atlantic species ALFREDO CARVALHO-FILHO1,4, GUY MARCOVALDI2, CLÁUDIO L. S. SAMPAIO3 M. ISABEL G. PAIVA2 & LUIZ A. G. DUARTE2 1Fish-Bizz Ltda. Rua Maria Garcez, 39, São Paulo, SP, 05424-070, Brasil 2Projeto Tamar-ICMBio. Avenida do Farol Garcia D´Ávila, s/n, Praia do Forte, Mata de São João, BA, 48280-000, Brasil 3Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Biologia, Museu de Zoologia, Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/nº, Salvador, BA, 40.170-290, Brasil 4Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract This is the first in a series of reports describing new records caught with circle hooks, a method only now being employed in exploratory fishing in Brazilian deep waters. Several new records of deep-water fishes were obtained with this equipment. In this paper we record for the first time the occurrence of two genera and species of Bramidae in Brazilian waters: the tropical pomfret Eumegistus brevorti and the keeltail pomfret Taractes rubescens. We also report on previously unnoticed collection records from preserved specimens of Pterycombus brama in museum collections, and the first capture of an adult bigscale pomfret Taractichthys longipinnis in Brazil. These new records increase the number of bramid species known from Brazilian waters to ten. The addition of P. b rama to the Brazilian Bramidae makes the Southwestern Atlantic the only known area of the world where two species of Pterycombus are found together.
    [Show full text]
  • 63Rd Annual Labor Day White Marlin Tournament
    Information THE OCEAN CITY MARLIN CLUB would like to extend a special thanks to our great sponsors. 63rd Annual Labor Day REGISTRATION White Marlin Level Sponsors: White Marlin Tournament Thursday, September 2 @ 6:30-8:00 p.m. Decatur Diner Ocean City Fishing Center Delaware Elevator Sunset Marina In-Person Captain’s Meeting 7:30 p.m. or Virtual Captain’s D.W. Burt Concrete Construction, Inc. SEPTEMBER 3, 4 & 5 2021 Meeting available on our website and Facebook. Over the You do not need to be phone registration available M-F 10:30-5:30 p.m. Blue Marlin Level Sponsors: a member of The Marlin Club to fish this tournament. 410-213-1613. A representative from each boat must Atlantic General Hospital Henley Construction Co. Inc. watch/attend the Captain’s Meeting. Bahia Marina Intrinsic Yacht & Ship Carey Distributors Ocean City Golf Club Open Bar - Beer & Wine Only & donated Appetizers by Consolidated Commercial Services PYY Marine Decatur Diner until 8:00 p.m. (while supplies last) DBS, Inc. Red Sun Custom Apparel Delmarvalous Photos Rt113 Boat Sales Fish in OC Ruth’s Chris Steak House AWARDS BANQUET September 5, 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the Club Billfish Level Sponsors: Awards Presentation: 8:00 p.m. Billfish Gear Ocean Downs Casino Four Tickets included with entry fee. Bluewater Yacht Sales PKS & Company, P.A. C & R Electrics, Inc. Premier Flooring Installation 1, Inc. C.J. Miller LLC Racetrack Auto & Marine FISHING DAYS Casual Designs Furniture SeaBoard Media Inc. (2 of 3) September 3, 4 & 5 Creative Concepts Steen Homes Lines In 8:00 a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sargasso Sea Commission Working to Protect the “Golden Rain Forest of Thedr
    The Sargasso Sea Commission Working to Protect the “Golden Rain Forest of theDr. DavidAtlantic” Freestone Executive Secretary, Sargasso Sea Commission American Eel Range State Virtual Workshop 18-19 May, 2021 The Sargasso Sea Why is the Sargasso Sea important ? § Unique open-ocean sargassum-based ecosystem. Mostly High Seas § Important for life history of many species (eels, turtles, tuna, billfish, sharks, etc.) Convention on Biological Diversity EBSA Process • “Described” at regional workshop (March 2012) • CBD COP submitted Sargasso Sea EBSA to CBD repository • Does not establish a MPA • Exploring leverage opportunities Sargassum fish - JP Rouja Sargassum Swimming Crab NOAA Sea horse JP Rouja Iconic species Humpback in Sargassum Andrew Stephenson Flying fish eggs JP Rouja Flying fish JP Rouja Baby Leatherbacks Global Connections Catches of yellow and silver eels in EC The Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea (March 2014) Hamilton Declaration Signatories Governments Azores Bahamas 2016 Observer Organizations Bermuda ISA- International Seabed Authority British Virgin Islands 2016 Secretariat Canada 2016 OSPAR (former Executive Secretary) Convention on Migratory Species Cayman Islands 2017 Secretariat Dominican Republic 2018 IUCN Monaco Inter-American Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Sea Turtles United Kingdom * Trinidad and Tobago United States unable to attend but Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, supportive Turks and Caicos* Hamilton Meeting Participants 2014 The Sargasso Sea Commission Role of the Sargasso Sea Commission Exercise a stewardship role for the Sargasso Sea and keep its health, productivity and resilience under continual review; and Develop a work programme and action plans for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea ecosystem [email protected] Prof Howard Roe Rochelle Newbold Prof Stephen de Mora Dr Tammy Warren Senator Wilfred Moore Mark Spalding Frederico Cardicos 5.
    [Show full text]
  • A Global Valuation of Tuna an Update February 2020 (Final)
    Netting Billions: a global valuation of tuna an update February 2020 (Final) ii Report Information This report has been prepared with the financial support of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The views expressed in this study are purely those of the authors. The content of this report may not be reproduced, or even part thereof, without explicit reference to the source. Citation: Macfadyen, G., Huntington, T., Defaux, V., Llewellin, P., and James, P., 2019. Netting Billions: a global valuation of tuna (an update). Report produced by Poseidon Aquatic Resources Management Ltd. Client: The Pew Charitable Trusts Version: Final Report ref: 1456-REG/R/02/A Date issued: 7 February 2020 Acknowledgements: Our thanks to the following consultants who assisted with data collection for this study: Richard Banks, Sachiko Tsuji, Charles Greenwald, Heiko Seilert, Gilles Hosch, Alicia Sanmamed, Anna Madriles, Gwendal le Fol, Tomasz Kulikowski, and Benoit Caillart. 7 February 2020 iii CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 1 2. STUDY METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 3 3. TUNA LANDINGS ..................................................................................................... 5 3.1 METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES ....................................................................................... 5 3.2 RESULTS ...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    atlaFrequentlyntic white Asked mQuestionsarlin 2007 Status Review WHAT ARE ATLANTIC WHITE MARLIN? White marlin are billfish of the Family Istiophoridae, which includes striped, blue, and black marlin; several species of spearfish; and sailfish. White marlin inhabit the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. They generally eat other fish (e.g., jacks, mackerels, mahi-mahi), but will feed on squid and other prey items. White marlin grow quickly and can reach an age of at least 18 years, based on tag recapture data (SCRS, 2004). Adult white marlin can grow to over 9 feet (2.8 meters) and can weigh up to 184 lb (82 kg). WHY ARE ATLANTIC WHITE MARLIN IMPORTANT? Atlantic white marlin are apex predators that feed at the top of the food chain. Recreational fishers seek Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish as highly-prized species in the United States, Venezuela, Bahamas, Brazil, and many countries in the Caribbean Sea and west coast of Africa. White marlin, along with other billfish and tunas, are managed internationally by member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). In the United States, Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, and Atlantic sailfish can be landed only by recreational fishermen fishing from either private vessels or charterboats. WHAT IS A STATUS REVIEW? A status review is the process of evaluating the best available scientific and commercial information on the biological status of a species and the threats it is facing to support a decision whether or not to list a species under the ESA or to change its listing.
    [Show full text]
  • Age Estimation of Billfishes (Kajikia Spp.) Using Fin Spine Cross-Sections: the Need for an International Code of Practice
    Aquat. Living Resour. 23, 13–23 (2010) Aquatic c EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2009 DOI: 10.1051/alr/2009045 Living www.alr-journal.org Resources Age estimation of billfishes (Kajikia spp.) using fin spine cross-sections: the need for an international code of practice R. Keller Kopf1,a, Katherine Drew2,b and Robert L. Humphreys Jr.3 1 Charles Sturt University, School of Environmental Sciences, PO Box 789, Albury NSW 2640, Australia 2 University of Miami RSMAS, Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, FL 33149, USA 3 NOAA Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Aiea Heights Research Facility, 99-193 Aiea Heights Drive, Suite 417, Aiea, Hawaii 96701, USA Received 26 February 2009; Accepted 2 May 2009 Abstract – Fin spine ageing is the most common technique used to estimate age and growth parameters of large pelagic billfishes from the families Istiophoridae and Xiphiidae. The most suitable methods for processing and inter- preting these calcified structures for age estimation have not been clearly defined. Methodological differences between unvalidated ageing studies are of particular concern for highly migratory species because multiple researchers in dif- ferent regions of the world may conduct age estimates on the same species or stock. This review provides a critical overview of the methods used in previous fin spine ageing studies on billfishes and provides recommendations towards the development of a standardized protocol for estimating the age of striped marlin, Kajikia audax and white marlin, Ka- jikia albida. Three on-going fin spine ageing studies from Australia, Hawaii, and Florida are used to illustrate some of the considerations and difficulties encountered when developing an ageing protocol for highly migratory fish species.
    [Show full text]
  • Failing Fish
    Failing Fish ----Advertisement---- ----Advertisement---- HOME Failing Fish NEWS COMMENTARY News: A sampling of creatures at serious risk of disappearing from our oceans and our dinner plates ARTS MOJOBLOG Illustrations by Jack Unruh RADIO CUSTOMER March/April 2006 Issue SERVICE DONATE STORE ABOUT US NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE Bluefin Tuna Warm-blooded bluefins, which can weigh 1,500 punds, are one of the largest bony fish swimming the seas. The Atlantic bluefin population has fallen by more than 80 percent since the 1970s; Pacific stocks are also dwindling. Advanced Search Browse Back Issues http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/03/failing_fish.html (1 of 4)2/23/2006 1:30:09 PM Failing Fish Read the Current Issue BUY THIS ISSUE SUBSCRIBE NOW Blue Crab Since Chesapeake Bay harvests are half of what they were a decade ago, at least 70 percent of crabmeat CRAZY PRICE! products sold in the United States now contain foreign crabs. 1 year just $10 Click Here Sundays on Air America Radio THIS WEEK The roots of the Eastern Oyster conflict over the Ships in the Chesapeake Bay once had to steer around massive oyster reefs. Poor water quality, exotic Danish Mohammed parasites, and habitat destruction have reduced the Chesapeake oyster stock to 1 percent of its historic level. cartoons, Clinton's economic advisor on Bush's troubles, and Iraq war veterans running for office as Democrats..... Learn More... Blue Marlin Since longlines replaced harpoons in the early 1960s, the Atlantic blue marlin has been driven toward extinction. A quarter of all blue marlin snared by longlines are dead by the time they reach the boat.
    [Show full text]
  • And Black Marlin (Istiompax Indica) in the Eastern Pacific Ceo an Nima Farchadi University of San Diego
    University of San Diego Digital USD Theses Theses and Dissertations Fall 9-26-2018 Habitat Preferences of Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) and Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) in the Eastern Pacific ceO an Nima Farchadi University of San Diego Michael G. Hinton Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Andrew R. Thompson Southwest Fisheries Science Center Zhi-Yong Yin University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/theses Part of the Applied Statistics Commons, Oceanography Commons, Population Biology Commons, Statistical Models Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Digital USD Citation Farchadi, Nima; Hinton, Michael G.; Thompson, Andrew R.; and Yin, Zhi-Yong, "Habitat Preferences of Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) and Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) in the Eastern Pacific cO ean" (2018). Theses. 32. https://digital.sandiego.edu/theses/32 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO San Diego Habitat Preferences of Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) and Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Marine Science by Nima Jason Farchadi Thesis Committee Michael G. Hinton, Ph.D., Chair Andrew R. Thompson, Ph.D. Zhi-Yong Yin, Ph.D. 2018 The thesis of Nima Jason Farchadi is approved by: ___________________________________ Michael G. Hinton, Ph.D., Chair Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission ___________________________________ Andrew R.
    [Show full text]