Volume 67
Preliminary Assessment of Shark and Ray By-catch Using Different By-catch Reduction Devices in the Atlantic Seabob Trawl Fishery of Guyana
Authors
Garstin, A., D. Maison, and H. Oxenford Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2014
Pages: 423 - 424
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty seven Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Christ Church
Country: Barbados
Abstract
The Atlantic seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) fishery is extremely important to Guyana, with over 80 licensed commercial trawling vessels and annual landings of around 25,000 mt, largely for export. The Guyana Association of Private Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GAPTO&SP) is taking pro- active steps in pursuing Marine Steward-ship Council certification to ensure top market prices and long- term sustainability of the seabob stock. To this end, all commercial vessels in the fleet are using turtle excluder devices (TEDs) and by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) in their trawl nets. However, the effectiveness of these devices in reducing the by-catch of vulnerable sharks and rays has not yet been examined. This study, requested by GAPTO&SP, represents the first attempt to document the by-catch of these discarded species by the seabob trawl fleet, and to compare the effectiveness of two different TED designs. Over the period July - August 2014, multiple trips were taken on a number of different seabob vessels to document the species, sizes and condition of all sharks and rays landed and discarded. Wherever possible, vessels deployed nets fitted with a standard TED, simultaneously with nets fitted with a modified TED.