Abstract

We compared the species composition and abundance of bycatch in wire and wooden spiny lobster traps near the Atlantic coast reefs of the Florida Keys. Additional observations of wooden and plastic traps were made in the heterogeneous seagrass-hardbottom community of the Gulf of Mexico. We observed 1,725 individuals representing 77 species in wire traps (n = 1,411 traps) and 758 individuals representing 63 species in wooden traps (n = 1,480 traps). Plastic traps (n = 517 traps) captured 386 individuals representing 25 species, and wooden traps (n = 774 traps) from the same area captured 232 individuals representing 23 species. Tomtates, white grunts, stone crabs, and spider crabs dominated the bycatch from all traps. Wire traps caught significantly more snapper/grouper, grunts, ornamental fish, other fish, and invertebrates than wooden traps did (a < 0.05). Snapper and grouper composed 5.5% of the bycatch. Daily bycatch mortality during this experiment was estimated to be between 0.0009 and 0.0027 animals per wooden trap/day and 0.0021 to 0.0064 animals per wire trap/day. Diver observations indicated that immediate escape from both wire and wooden traps was possible for tomtates. Ninety percent of the snapper escaped from both wooden and wire traps within 24 hours. Observed fishing practices in the spiny lobster fishery had a minimal impact on bycatch, particularly snapper and grouper. Current fishing regulations have restricted the number and type of traps available, and little potential exists for the misuse of lobster traps to capture fish.

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