SOUTH ATLANTIC FISHERIES BYCATCH OVERVIEW
NOTE: This table is a DRAFT under development and, once finalized, will undergo periodic updates as new bycatch information becomes available.

NA = Not applicable; the fishery is either species-specific or produces very small amounts of bycatch.
*Logbook data reflect discards only.
**Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Development Foundation. 1997. Bycatch and its reduction in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic shrimp fishery. Final report to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tampa, FL, 27pp.
***NMFS. 1997. Bycatch in the southeast shrimp trawl fishery. A data summary report. NMFS, Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Miami, FL, 197pp.
****Sedberry, G.R., and others. Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) in the North Atlantic: Fisheries, Biology and Management of a Widely Distributed and Long-Lived Fish. American Fisheries Society Symposium 23:27-50.
*****Matthews, T.R., and S. Donahue. 1996. By-catch in Florida's Spiny Lobster Trap Fishery and the Impact of Wire Traps. Report submitted to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 15pp.
******NMFS SEFSC Logbook Program. J. Poffenberger, personal communication. The stratified sampling used to select the boats for the approximate 20% sample included "gear" but did not include "fishery" as a stratification.
*******NMFS. 1998. Report to Congress. Southeastern United States Shrimp Trawl Bycatch Program. Nance, J.M. (ed.), 154pp.

Year

Fishery/Fishery Management Plan

Gear

Bycatch species

Discards/ mortality*

Bycatch data

Coverage

Gear requirements (date)

Other requirements (date)

2001

Spanish mackerel/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources

Handline, rod & reel, bandit, gillnet, cast net

<51 species

81% released alive*******

Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01) for longline, rod and reel, bandit gear, and handline******

~20% stratified sample

Minimum gillnet mesh size (1983); prohibition of drift gillnets (1990); gillnet soak time limit (1996)

None

2001

King mackerel/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources

Handline, rod & reel, bandit

60 different species of fish reported discarded

NA; 0.9% of discards reported dead or mostly dead; 92.7% reported alive or mostly alive; remaining 6% undetermined or condition not reported (08/01-07/02)

Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01) for longline, rod and reel, bandit gear, and handline******

~20% stratified sample

Minimum gillnet mesh size (1983); prohibition of drift gillnets (1990); gillnet soak time limit (1996)

None

2001

FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources (nonmackerel)

Longline, handline, rod & reel, bandit

Finfish

No estimate

None

None

Minimum gillnet mesh size (1983); prohibition of drift gillnets (1990); gillnet soak time limit (1996)

None

2001

FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources (recreational)

Bandit, rod & reel, handline, spear

NA

NA

Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey, Saltonstall-Kennedy grant data

Not available

Minimum gillnet mesh size (1983); prohibition of drift gillnets (1990); gillnet soak time limit (1996)

None

2001

Atlantic Coast Red Drum FMP

None

None

None

None

None

None

No harvest or possession in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone

2001

Octocoral commercial fishery/FMP for Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region

Hand harvest

NA

NA

None

None

None

Prohibition of wild live rock harvest (1994)

2001

Live rock aquaculture fishery/FMP for Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region

Hand harvest

NA

NA

None

None

None

Prohibition of wild live rock harvest (1994)

2001

FMP for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Trap

Isopods, crabs (including female golden crabs), hagfish, shark, hake

No estimate, but assumed to be minimal

Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01) for longline, rod and reel, bandit gear, and handline******

~20% stratified sample

Escape panel required (1996); minimum depth required (1996)

None

2001

FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Trawl

Finfish (including juveniles of managed species), invertebrates, sea turtles, coral, and other benthic species

44.55 kg (1996)*** (4.5:1 bycatch:shrimp ratio 1996**); NOTE: amounts and ratios have changed since due to BRDs, but analyses of new data have not been completed

Landings data, observer (minimal), grant data (minimal)

Not available

Turtle excluder device regulations (1989-1994), bycatch reduction device regulations (1997)

Trawl prohibition in Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern (1984, 2000)

2001

FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Longline, handline, rod & reel, bandit, spear, powerhead

Finfish, sharks

No estimate

No information on spear and powerhead; logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01) for longline, rod and reel, bandit gear, and handline******

~20% stratified sample

None

Longline prohibited inside 50 fathoms (1992), south of Port St. Lucie (1995)

2001

Black sea bass/FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Pot, trap

Finfish, crab, other invertebrates

No estimate

Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01) for longline, rod and reel, bandit gear, and handline******

~20% stratified sample

Escape panel required (1998)

Prohibition of pot/trap use S. of Cape Canaveral (1992)

2001

Wreckfish/FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Rod & reel, bandit, Handline

Finfish****

No estimate, but assumed to be minimal

None

None

None

Individual transferable quotas (1992)

2001

Snapper-grouper (recreational)/FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region

Handline, rod & reel, bandit, spear, powerhead

Finfish

No estimate, but assumed to be minimal

Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey, Saltonstall-Kennedy grant data

No estimate

None

None

2001

Spiny lobster/FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

Trap, pot, dip net, bully net, snare, hand harvest

Finfish including goliath and Nassau grouper*****, sea turtle*****, seabird*****, invertebrates

4.5% of wood traps and 11.0% of wire traps pulled contained finfish bycatch*****

None

None

Degradable escape panel required for traps (1982)

2-lobster bag limit north of Florida

2001

Spiny lobster (recreational)/FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

Trap, pot, dip net, bully net, snare, hand harvest

NA for dip net, bully net, snare, and hand harvest; finfish and invertebrates from trap and pot use

No estimate

None

None

None

None