Realizing that conservation is a team effort, NOAA Fisheries is working with
the recreational fishing industry to encourage the use of circle hooks when
targeting big gamefish. Studies have shown that the use of circle hooks promotes
conservation in recreational highly migratory fisheries by helping reduce bycatch
while increasing catch rates and lowering post-release mortality. But that’s
not all. Recreational fishermen also could reduce the need for future regulation
by simply changing hooks.
You may be wondering how you could stave off regulation by switching to circle
hooks. Let’s use white marlin as an example. Stocks of white marlin have
been identified by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tuna as either over-exploited or fully exploited for more than two decades.
The most current summaries of stock status for Atlantic marlin note high rates
of fishing mortality observed in recent years.
NOAA Fisheries recently made a decision not to list white marlin as an endangered
species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but that doesn’t guarantee
it will remain unlisted down the road. The agency has placed white marlin on
the ESA candidate list, will monitor white marlin populations and is slated
to re-assess its ESA listing decision in 2007. Reducing catch and post-release
mortality estimates would reduce the likelihood of a future ESA listing.
NOAA Fisheries has been studying the efficacy of circle hooks for many years
and has supported training and outreach efforts in proper baiting and hooking
techniques since the mid-90s. A study conducted by NOAA Fisheries in the spring
and summer of 1999 evaluated the performance of circle and J hooks on Atlantic
and Pacific sailfish and, to a lesser extent, Pacific blue marlin.
The study compared circle hook and similar sized J-hook performance, while trolling/pitching
dead bait or drifting live bait for billfish (methods commonly used by anglers
targeting these species). Rates of fishing success and hooking percentage were
comparable or higher for circle hooks compared with J-hooks. Circle hooks used
on sailfish had hooking percentages (i.e., fish hooked/fish bite) that were
1.83 times higher compared with J-hooks. More sailfish were hooked in the corner
of the mouth using circle hooks (85 percent), as compared with J-hooks (27 percent).
In addition, more sailfish were deep hooked in the throat and stomach with J-hooks
(46 percent) as compared with circle hooks (2 percent). Additionally the study
indicated that circle hooks reduce deep hooking and promote the live release
of species.
Anglers can benefit from using circle hooks in tournaments too. The Big Rock
Blue Marlin Tournament is a prestigious event with forty-five years of history.
Beginning with the 2003 Tournament, additional release points will be awarded
for using circle hooks in lieu of J-hooks. This rule change reflects a clear
commitment by tournaments to support billfish conservation while still providing
competitive anglers the excitement and thrill of top-notch tournament fishing.
Dr. Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries, is working to improve interactions
with billfish tournaments seeking to reduce or eliminate fish mortality. Dr.
Hogarth, who has committed NOAA Fisheries to providing monetary support to the
Big Rock to conduct bait rigging seminars to aid participants in the proper
use of circle hooks, did so in these difficult budget times so that “this
bold step will have every chance of success within this tournament and to promote
the expansion of circle hook use in other tournaments on the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts.”