Abstract

Extended periods of concentrated extractive fishing on spawning aggregations are known to result in long-term and sometimes irreversible damage to regional populations of aggregating species. Indeed, the Special Permit Zone, a closure extending from Cape Sable, Florida, U.S. to the Southern Boundary of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, was enact-ed to protect Permit (Trachinotus falcatus) from harvest during their spawning season between April and July. Unfortunate-ly, catch-and-release fishing for trophy Permit on aggregation sites in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, adjacent to the Florida Keys, has seen a significant increase in the past several years. Though the aggregations in South Florida are not vulnerable to harvest, decreases in the prevalence of Permit in near shore habitats are being attributed to the high rate of mortality associated with depredation during offshore aggregation fishing events. To address these concerns we developed a two part study focusing on Western Dry Rocks, an important management area 15km Southwest of Key West, Florida. First, we are quantifying the level of fishing effort and landings through the spawning season on reported aggregations us-ing direct observation and trip intercept techniques; and second, we are quantifying depredation associated mortality using fisheries-independent surveys, acoustic imaging sonar, and trip intercept reports. These data will provide a more complete understanding of the relationship between catch-and-release angling activities and shark depredation on spawning aggrega-tions, and will also identify the overall impact of non-extractive fishing practices on this ecologically and economically important resource.

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