ABSTRACT
Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, represents an important component of commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). We investigated the influence of environmental conditions on the spatiotemporal distribution of yellowfin tuna using fisheries' catch data spanning 2012-2019 within Mexican waters. We implemented hierarchical Bayesian regression models with spatial and temporal random effects and fixed effects of several environmental covariates to predict habitat suitability (HS) for the species. The best model included spatial and interannual anomalies of the absolute dynamic topography of the ocean surface (ADTSA and ADTIA, respectively), bottom depth, and a seasonal cyclical random effect. High catches occurred mainly towards anticyclonic features at bottom depths > 1000 m. The spatial extent of HS was higher in years with positive ADTIA, which implies more anticyclonic activity. The highest values of HS (> 0.7) generally occurred at positive ADTSA in oceanic waters of the central and northern GoM. However, high HS values (> 0.6) were observed in the southern GoM, in waters with cyclonic activity during summer. Our results highlight the importance of mesoscale features for the spatiotemporal distribution of yellowfin tunas and could help to develop dynamic fisheries management strategies in Mexico and the U.S. for this valuable resource.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Tuna , Animals , Gulf of Mexico , Bayes Theorem , Oceans and SeasABSTRACT
The failure to achieve fisheries management objectives has been broadly discussed in international meetings. Measuring the effects of fishery regulations is difficult due to the lack of detailed information. The yellowfin tuna fishery in the eastern Pacific Ocean offers an opportunity to evaluate the fishers' responses to temporal regulations. We used data from observers on-board Mexican purse-seine fleet, which is the main fleet fishing on dolphin-associated tuna schools. In 2002, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission implemented a closed season to reduce fishing effort for this fishery. For the period 1992-2008, we analysed three fishery indicators using generalized estimating equations to evaluate the fishers' response to the closure. We found that purse-seiners decreased their time spent in port, increased their fishing sets, and maintained their proportion of successful fishing sets. Our results highlight the relevance of accounting for the fisher behaviour to understand fisheries dynamics when establishing management regulations.
Subject(s)
Conservation of Natural Resources/methods , Fisheries/organization & administration , Government Regulation , Ships , Tuna/growth & development , Animals , Conservation of Natural Resources/legislation & jurisprudence , Fisheries/legislation & jurisprudence , Mexico , Pacific Ocean , Seasons , Tropical ClimateABSTRACT
En este trabajo se presenta la estimación del descarte por exceso de captura en la pesquería industrial de cerco del stock Norte-Centro de anchoveta peruana. Se define el descarte por exceso de captura, como la porción de captura que se arroja al mar cuando se ha capturado más de lo que la capacidad de bodega de la embarcación puede almacenar. El análisis de estimación para el periodo 2005 - 2014, se realizó a partir del "Programa de observadores a bordo de la flota de cerco" que ejecuta el Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE), en donde 5 837 viajes, que representan el 1.6% de los viajes totales, fueron muestreados. Las metodologías utilizadas en la estimación fueron: Modelo Lineal Generalizado (GLM) y el Modelo Delta. Las estimaciones por el Modelo Delta y el GLM fueron diferentes en magnitudes pero similares en tendencias, sin embargo la evaluación del funcionamiento del Modelo Delta, indica que este modelo se ajusta mejor a los datos. El Modelo Delta estimó que la pesquería descarta por exceso de captura entre 2 954 y 199 164 toneladas, con un promedio de 121 312 toneladas para el periodo de estudio, el cual representó una tasa del 2.6% en relación a los desembarques. Se sugiere la incorporación de variables espaciales (p. ej. distancia a la costa, latitud, longitud), físicas (TSM) y del comportamiento del cardumen (p.e. agregación), para mejorar el análisis y comprender mejor el comportamiento de este tipo de descarte.
This paper presents estimates of the discard excess catch in the industrial purse seine fisheries of the North-Center stock of the Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens). Discard excess catch is defined as the portion of the catch that is thrown into the sea when has captured more than the hold capacity can store. The analysis is based on the "On-board observer of the purse seine vessels program" led by the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE), and in the period 2005 - 2014, 5837 trips were sampled, corresponding to 1.6% of the total trips. The methodologies used in the discard excess catch estimation were: Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Delta Model. The estimations showed difference in magnitudes but similar trends, although the delta model appears to be a better alternative procedure for estimating the discard excess catch. The Delta Model estimated the purse seine fisheries discarded a range from 2954 to 199 164 tons, an average estimated 121 312 tons, which represent 2.6% of the landings in the period 2005 - 2014. Spatial variables (e.g. distance from the shore, latitude, longitude), physical (SST), and school behavior (e.g. fish aggregation) should be included to improve the analysis and a better understanding of the discard excess catch behavior.
