Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 2017-2018 Report to Congress

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Funding Bycatch Reduction

Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Annual Report to Congress, 2017-2018 (PDF, 20 pages)

Bycatch occurs when fishermen throw away catch of marine species, or when marine mammals, seabirds, or protected fish are harmed or killed by fishing gear. Reducing bycatch in fisheries can help recover protected species and have positive economic and social impacts. NOAA Fisheries has long been committed to reducing bycatch through management, monitoring, research, enforcement, education, and communication efforts, as described in the 2016 National Bycatch Reduction Strategy.

The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) supports tech solutions and engineering practices that minimize bycatch in managed fisheries. Since fiscal year 2012, NOAA Fisheries has supported 133 BREP awards worth more than $19 million going to external partners like state governments, academia, and the fishing industry. The awards address our different priorities: reducing protected species bycatch, developing innovative technologies, improving fishing practices, and reducing post release death. From 2012 through 2017, over 40 percent of BREP dollars funded projects that resulted in management recommendations. Other projects focused on gathering information needed to conduct more targeted research that could lead to future management actions. More than 90 percent of the work is in collaboration with the fishing industry, which improves the likelihood of successful application of research findings in fisheries.

Highlights & Outcomes

This report summarizes the outcomes of 32 BREP awards, totaling $4,500,000, funded by NOAA Fisheries in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Most of the work discussed here occurred during 2018 and 2019. This report shows that bycatch reduction research, as with any research, can result in a range of outcomes. Finding technological solutions to bycatch problems requires years of technical expertise, collaboration with fishermen, and effective communication with managers.

2017 & 2018 Funding by Priority

Reducing Protected Species Bycatch 2017

Five 2017 BREP projects addressed bycatch of protected Chinook salmon, false killer whales, sea turtles, and eulachon. These projects took place on the U.S. West and East Coasts and the Pacific Islands.

Gettysburg College ($169,969): Developing and testing a bycatch reduction strategy to reduce sea turtle bycatch in gillnet and pound net fisheries

An understanding of how animals perceive and respond to sound and light cues in their environment can guide the development of successful bycatch reduction. Researchers from Gettysburg College and Ocean Discovery Institute examined the impact of low-frequency sound and light on sea turtles and fish in gillnets in Baja, Mexico and pound nets in North Carolina. Researchers chose these sites to focus their work because they have areas of high sea turtle interaction, access to commercial gillnet fisheries, and strong relationships with fishery partners. Through their work, scientists found that hearing and seeing the cues reduced sea turtle interactions with gillnets while maintaining target catch. Preliminary data suggested that visual cues were more effective in reducing sea turtle interactions with pound nets than acoustic cues. These results show the potential for using sound and light to warn sea turtles of the presence of fishing gear and reduce sea turtle interactions.

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Duke University ($119,804): Developing rules to reduce false killer whale fishery feeding and bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries

False killer whales, which are endangered around Hawaii, frequently feed on bait and tuna that have already been hooked in the Hawaii longline tuna fishery, a behavior known as “depredation.” This is an issue for fishermen possibly losing their valuable catch and is risky for the false killer whales, as they can become hooked on or entangled in longline gear. The goal of this research was to identify patterns that could help fishermen avoid overlap with false killer whales. Using data from observers and location-transmitting tags on false killer whales, researchers were able to tell fishermen how to avoid regions of high interaction or bycatch. Researchers also estimated that the cost of false killer whale feeding on tuna lines commonly exceeds $1 million in lost catch value across the fleet. The results of this study have been presented to scientists and managers from federal agencies and the fishing industry.

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission ($116,353): Measuring effectiveness of LED lights to reduce eulachon and dark blotched rockfish bycatch in the ocean shrimp trawl fishery

Past research at the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission showed that putting artificial lights on trawl nets reduced bycatch of Chinook salmon. In 2017, the commission tested whether a similar system of artificial lights could be used to reduce bycatch of eulachon (an ESA-listed fish species) and groundfish. Using a trawler with a net on either side, researchers compared target catch and bycatch between lighted and dark nets. The lighted net caught significantly less eulachon and yellowtail rockfish, with no reduction in catch of shrimp. In 2018, Oregon and Washington both began to require use of lighted nets to avoid bycatch in the ocean shrimp fishery.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation ($168,803): Improving the understanding of sea turtle entanglement in vertical lines

Fisheries where gear is stands still in the water instead of moving with a boat are called fixed-gear fisheries, and they include the valuable East Coast crab and lobster fisheries. However, fixed gears can be a hazard to sea turtles, which get entangled in the lines connecting the buoy to the gear. Leatherback sea turtles are at particular risk because their seasonal foraging grounds in the northeast overlap with these fixed-gear fisheries. Researchers at Coonamessett Farm Foundation studied sea turtle behavior to better understand why they become entangled. They fitted 28 camera tags on leatherback sea turtles which provided video footage of turtle behavior like dive patterns, foraging behavior, and breathing events. They also surveyed fishermen about their view of turtle entanglements. This research is still in progress.

Note: The Wild Fish Conservancy was awarded funding in both 2017 and 2018. That project is discussed in the 2018 section of this report.

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Reducing Protected Species Bycatch 2018

Six 2018 BREP projects addressed bycatch of protected Chinook salmon, sea turtles, whales, and dolphins. These projects took place on the U.S. West and East Coasts and internationally.

Wild Fish Conservancy ($199,689): Evaluation of pound nets for selective harvest in Lower Columbia River spring chinook, summer chinook, and shad fisheries

Researchers from the Wild Fish Conservancy in Washington tested a harvest method for salmon that would allow fishermen to separate hatchery-raised fish from wild fish. Several wild populations of salmon are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but hatchery-raised fish provide a commercially successful fishery. Researchers constructed a pound net—a maze-like net anchored in the river—to study catch rates of hatchery salmon and death rates of wild salmon after release. Pound nets were historically used to catch salmon, but have not been used in this area for decades. Within the net, fishermen separate hatchery salmon from wild salmon by hand and release the wild back into the river. By marking wild fish that were caught and measuring how many were recaptured later, researchers were able to calculate survival rates for released fish. The pound net was effective at catching hatchery salmon while reducing wild salmon deaths after release, showing that this type of trap may be good for commercial use. In the second year of this study, researchers modified the pound net to almost eliminate net contact, air exposure, handling, and crowding of fish in the net. Again, they calculated survival rates for released fish, which were higher in the second year than in the first. These results suggest that changes made to the trap can achieve almost 100 percent survival of bycaught salmon, which may make the gear effective at addressing the ESA constraints in the commercial fishery.

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Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association ($243,798): Reduce interactions between sperm whales and longline gear in Alaska

Sperm whale feeding on catch in the commercial sablefish and halibut longline vessels in the eastern Gulf of Alaska is a problem for both fishermen and whales. This project builds on previous NOAA-funded work developing systems to detect the presence of whales and help fishermen avoid them. Researchers updated software to detect sound patterns that come from sperm whales. They display them so that fishermen can see where whales are and avoid fishing there. They also tested two configurations of underwater microphone systems used for detecting whales. They are now developing a method of integrating acoustic detection of whales into an information sharing network for fishermen. The research is still in progress.

Duke University ($189,899): Testing the bycatch reduction technologies to reduce sea turtle bycatch in North Carolina coastal gillnet and pound net fisheries

Researchers from Duke University and NOAA Fisheries continued to examine the impact of low-frequency sound and sight cues on sea turtle and flounder bycatch in pound nets in coastal North Carolina. They also worked with fishermen to examine the impacts of visual cues on sea turtle and target fish catch in gillnets in an effort to support continued bycatch reduction in the small-scale flounder fishery. Green lights were more effective in reducing sea turtle interactions with pound nets than sound cues, however both reduced sea turtle bycatch. Sight cues maintained flounder catch in coastal gillnets, however sea turtle interactions with experimental nets were rare. These results support the idea that sight and sound cues can be used to warn sea turtles of the presence of fishing gear while maintaining target catch in coastal net fisheries.

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission ($144,792): Identifying the lighting necessary to help Chinook salmon escape bycatch reduction devices in Pacific hake trawl

The Pacific hake midwater trawl fishery is the largest groundfish fishery off the U.S. West Coast by volume. Bycatch of ESA-listed Chinook salmon can negatively affect the fishery. Researchers at the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission built on previous work by showing that Chinook salmon bycatch rates are lower in trawl nets  with LED lights than in trawls without. Further comparison between trawls with 16 lights and trawls with 32 lights showed Chinook salmon bycatch was not affected by the amount of light. Catch of Pacific hake was similar in lit and unlit trawls. Outfitting Pacific hake midwater trawls with LED lights is a promising avenue for reducing Chinook salmon bycatch. This finding may also be relevant to the Bering Sea walleye pollock midwater trawl fishery, which has challenges with salmon bycatch as well.

Newcastle University ($197,536): Low-cost solutions to whale and dolphin bycatch in gillnet fisheries

Gillnets are used in many small-scale fisheries around the world, but whales and dolphins are often bycaught in gillnet gear, threatening the population. Bycatch reduction strategies that work for large commercial fisheries may not be workable in small-scale fisheries. This project tested a simple, low-cost bycatch reduction method known as glass bottle alarms in small-scale drift gillnet fisheries in Peru. These alarms—made from a glass drink bottle with a bolt inside—produce a sound that should allow dolphins using echolocation to detect a gillnet. Initial results suggest that glass bottle alarms do not reduce bycatch of dolphins or turtles in gillnets. The alarms did not affect the catch of target fish except for a reduction in the catch of some sharks. Another promising low-cost technology, plastic bottle sound reflectors, will be tested in the coming months in the same fishery. This upcoming research could potentially be used in small-scale fisheries around the world, including in the United States.

New England Aquarium ($226,616): Testing ropeless fishing gear to end large whale entanglements in pot fishing gear

Ropes used as buoy lines in crab and lobster pot fisheries off the East Coast are the primary source of entanglements of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. This species has a population of fewer than 400 individuals, and has been in decline since 2010. The goal was to evaluate the operation of ropeless fishing systems to reduce entanglements and lower the risk of extinction for the North Atlantic right whale. Ropeless fishing systems secure the end of the rope near the sea floor, then use an sound trigger to release the end of the rope, which floats to the surface so fishermen can haul the pot up. Because the rope is only in the water column during hauling, it poses virtually no entanglement threat to whales. Preliminary trials of this system with lobster fishermen worked well and they were satisfied. Researchers are now conducting fishing trials in deeper waters.

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Innovative Technologies 2017

In 2017, three BREP-funded projects along the East Coast, Alaska, and in international waters focused on innovative technology, including testing new modeling methods and gear designs, to understand bycatch.

University of Mississippi ($82,121): Application of a new bycatch reduction device for use in the U.S. shrimp industry

While progress has been made in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery, it continues to have one of the highest bycatch rates of any fishery in the United States. Significant bycatch of red snapper, which is in a rebuilding plan, is a challenge. To reduce fish bycatch in the shrimp fishery, researchers created and handed out a bycatch reduction device that attracts fish to escape through openings in the trawl net. In previous at-sea certification trials, this device was shown to reduce finfish bycatch by 40-50 percent, with little effect on shrimp catch. 24 of these were distributed to 16 shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico with the request that each vessel run 30 test trawls. Of the five captains who tried the device, two provided the requested 30 test trawls, and both continued to use the device despite it not being required.

Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute ($116,789): Developing
and testing a fish distribution model to forecast river herring bycatch hotspots

This project used already existing data on conditions and catch in the Atlantic herring mid-water trawl fishery to forecast hotspots of river herring bycatch. River herring is an important species in New England and the stock has been declining in recent years. Researchers compared the modeled hotspots with reported river herring bycatch to evaluate the accuracy. Using bycatch data from the past decade, researchers created a forecast method. It included the highest river herring bycatch events while leaving at least half the core fishing area classified as at low risk of bycatch. Accuracy varied by time of year, but were generally good enough that researchers recommend integrating habitat models of bycatch hotspots into the state bycatch reduction program.

Oregon State University ($73,051): New methods to assess seabird-fisheries overlap to help conservation management

To study the interactions between albatross and fishing vessels in international waters, researchers used data from GPS tags on albatross and satellite monitoring of fishing vessels. Combining these allowed them to study the conditions under which interactions occur and how long they last. This project sheds new light on the problem of seabird bycatch, which is known to be an issue in the Hawaii longline fisheries but has been studied less on the high seas. Researchers found that a higher density of larger fishing vessels made interactions more likely. Some species of albatross were more likely to interact with fishing vessels than others, and environmental conditions, such as wind speed, also played a role in determining the nature of interactions.

Innovative Technologies 2018

Three BREP-funded projects on innovative technologies took place along the East and West Coasts in 2018. These projects included building maps of cod and haddock abundance, use of electronic monitoring technology to identify bycatch species and hotspots, and using lighted nets to help fish avoid capture.

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission ($151,764): Use of LEDs to reduce Pacific halibut catch

Too much bycatch of Pacific halibut in the West Coast groundfish bottom trawl fishery can make it hard for some fishermen to fully use their groundfish quota shares. This project compared the catch of four groundfish species and that of Pacific halibut between an unlit trawl and a trawl with lights on part of the net. Fewer Pacific halibut entered the lighted trawl net while groundfish catch was the same. It showed that artificial illumination can reduce Pacific halibut bycatch in the groundfish trawl fishery. This research may also be applicable in the Alaska groundfish fisheries where Pacific halibut bycatch constraints occur.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries ($142,395): Creating a bycatch tool to avoid Cod in the Gulf of Maine recreational fishery

Due to overlapping habitat preferences, cod and haddock are frequently caught together in the Gulf of Maine recreational fishery. Despite a several year prohibition on keeping cod, recreational fishermen getting rid of cod caught as bycatch is now a leading source of death for the cod stock. This has led to limits being place on the abundant haddock stock, too. Researchers at the Division of Marine Fisheries used trawl survey data to create habitat maps for both haddock and cod. They showed the locations of lots of haddock and fewer cod. They tested these maps with the help of 138 recreational anglers who caught 33 percent less cod by fishing in the target areas. The maps were published as a Recreational Haddock Fishing Guide and as a smartphone application, both of which are available to the public. 

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Mote Marine Laboratory ($176,545): Best fishing and bycatch reduction practices for the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery

The Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery is highly complex, involving 42 species of target fish, multiple gear types, and several important bycatch species. This research used electronic monitoring to investigate the types and fate of bycatch. Researchers placed electronic monitoring equipment on 18 commercial fishing vessels, which captured the location, condition, and fate of bycatch species. This data allowed them to model bycatch hotspots and the relationships among target catch, bycatch, fishing practices, and environmental conditions. They also placed a new underwater camera system on both charter fishing and commercial boats. This camera system can help researchers identify species that interact with fishing gear, but are not brought on board the boats, particularly large sharks and marine mammals. The results of this research will provide industry and management with recommendations for best fishing practices to reduce bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery.

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Improving Fishing Practices 2017

Five 2017 BREP-funded projects aimed to improve fishing practices along the West and East Coasts. Results from these projects will help reduce bycatch and improve fisheries’ sustainability.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation ($130,400): Bycatch reduction in the limited access scallop fishery

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation developed a rubber disc sweep designed to exclude flatfish species from sea scallop dredges. Bycatch of groundfish can reduce access to sea scallops—one of the most commercially valuable seafood species in the United States. In testing of the modified rubber disc sweep, researchers found that bycatch of flounder and other species was significantly reduced. The flounder sweep dredge was more selective than the control dredge. However, catch of sea scallops was lower using the modified sweep as well. Researchers recommend further modeling to shed light on how the addition of forward sweeps impacts the retention of sea scallops and bycatch species.

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Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research ($121,192): Developing radio and satellite smart buoys for bycatch reduction

This project developed radio and satellite-based technology to remotely monitor drifting buoys in the deep-set buoy gear swordfish fishery. By using buoys with transmitters in them, fishermen can remotely detect when bycatch species like sharks or marine mammals become entangled in their gear and respond right away. The use of smart buoy technology can increase post-release survival of bycaught species by getting them released sooner and also can minimize the potential for lost fishing gear. Researchers developed and tested satellite-based and radio-based smart buoys, and found that radio-based buoys are more cost effective but have a transmission range that is limited by antenna height. In contrast, satellite-based smart buoys have no limits. The project made smart buoy user manuals available through an instrument company and an open-access website. Smart buoys could be used in any domestic fishery that uses buoys in its daily operations.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation ($177,798): Testing raised webbing gillnets to reduce Atlantic cod bycatch in the haddock fishery

Bycatch of Atlantic cod restricts how much haddock fishermen are able to catch in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Because haddock are a much more abundant species than cod, and have significant economic potential, fishermen are extremely interested in ways to catch haddock without catching cod. In this project, researchers tested gillnets with slightly smaller mesh and gillnets with the webbing raised above the lead line. Raising the webbing has the potential to reduce catch of cod, which are more often found in the lower portions of gillnets. Preliminary results suggest that raised nets do not improve catch of haddock relative to cod, and that mesh size has little effect on the catch.

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Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission ($145,900): Minimizing trawl sweep impacts to the seafloor and bottom-dwelling species

In the West Coast groundfish bottom trawl fishery, fishermen use long “sweeps,” (cables attached to the front of the trawl net) that maintain contact with the sea floor. While the sweeps effectively herd fish into the net, they also have the potential to cause seafloor disturbances and injury or death to bottom-dwelling animals. Researchers found that using round “bobbins” to raise the sweeps up off the sea floor reduced interactions with bottom-dwelling animals and habitat. There was also no effect on the catch of groundfish. Raised sweeps could be a way to protect habitat while maintaining fishermen’s catch rates.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ($81,480):
Using new fishing technology and strategies in the Florida spiny lobster fishery

The Caribbean spiny lobster fishery is the most valuable commercial fishery in Florida and the Caribbean. Baiting practices and lobster trap design in this fishery cause the death of some undersized lobsters, which then lowers abundance throughout the fishery. This research looked at the effectiveness of different baiting strategies and trap design to lower death rates of small lobsters while maintaining legal-sized lobster catch. Researchers built traps with escape gaps large enough for undersized lobsters to exit the trap while keeping legal lobsters in. Instead of the typical practice of baiting a trap with an undersized lobster, they used a legal-sized lobster as bait. This new trap configuration nearly eliminated undersized lobster deaths in the traps, but the catch of legal lobsters was 27 percent lower as compared to the traditional trap configuration. However, when lobster abundance was high, catch rates for traps with escape gaps increased to be equivalent to catch rates in standard traps. Modeling suggests that if escape gaps were required in all traps, landings would go down the first year but would recover in the second year.

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Reducing Post-Release Mortality 2017

Five BREP-funded projects in 2017 explored how to reduce post-release mortality in commercial and recreational fisheries from Maine to Hawaii. Results from these projects will help improve understanding and management of post-release mortality in species including sharks and fish.

New England Aquarium ($142,686): Better data on death rates best practices to reduce cod death in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery

In the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery, anglers targeting haddock frequently catch and discard Atlantic cod, which are overfished. To reduce cod bycatch, researchers examined the effectiveness of different types of recreational fishing gear at catching haddock without catching cod. Volunteer anglers were recruited to fish with different gear types to replicate real-life fishing conditions. The results of this research suggest that fishing with baited hooks can maintain haddock catch and reduce cod bycatch. It would also minimize injury and discard mortality in both species. To promote the long-term sustainability of the Gulf of Maine recreational fishery anglers are advised to:

1) fish with baited hooks, not jigs

2) ask for help unhooking fish if they are inexperienced

3) move to a different location if catching cod

Through partnerships and networks, researchers disseminated their recommended best practice guidelines for haddock fishing to regional stakeholders.

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University of Hawaii ($170,456): Assessing conservation and management measures for reducing deaths of a threatened shark species

Oceanic whitetip sharks were historically one of the most abundant species in tropical waters, but have recently been listed under the Endangered Species Act. Around Hawaii, this species has shown significant declines in abundance since 1995. As a result, conservation and management measures have been put in place by several Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. The RFMOs banned retention of oceanic whitetips and encouraged handling practices that reduce injury to live animals. In this study, researchers tagged oceanic whitetip sharks with long-term pop-off archival tags to assess the efficacy of current no-retention measures by estimating post-release death rates for released sharks. Fourteen sharks were tagged, and only one died before the tag popped off. A number of tags malfunctioned or popped off early, so this project was unable to collect all the data needed. However, the data that was collected can still be used to verify previous BREP-funded research on post-release survival in this species, and to inform environmental models of movement.

Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department
of Natural Resources ($193,320): Post-release death of adult red drum caught by recreational anglers

Red drum are one of the most economically important sportfish in the U.S. South Atlantic. Their long life span, along with annual gatherings at the mouths of large estuaries that are easily accessible to recreational anglers, make adults vulnerable to overfishing. Most red drum are released alive after being caught, but release does not ensure survival. Researchers from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources found that fewer than 5 percent of red drum die after release, although smaller fish may have a higher death rate. Due to the low death rate, researchers were unable to quantify the effects of environmental and physiological factors on post-release survival. They also found that the rate of recapture is relatively high, which raises further questions about the cumulative effects of repeated catch-and-release on the health of red drum.

University of New England ($37,976): Determining the discard mortality rate and best capture and handing methods for Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine lobster industry

The Gulf of Maine commercial lobster fishery has approximately 3.5 million active traps. The fishery captures non-target species such as Atlantic cod as bycatch. Little is known about the death rate for bycatch species in the lobster fishery. This work allowed researchers to estimate the death rates of cod captured and discarded in the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery. Researchers observed cod caught in lobster traps, calculated their death rate, and tagged them with acoustic transmitters so that they could be observed after they were released. Both the number of cod captured and the mortality rate of cod were lower than expected.

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University of Hawaii ($118,524):  Identifying strategies to reduce death of oceanic whitetip sharks

Oceanic whitetip shark populations have undergone serious declines across the Pacific Ocean, but are seasonally abundant near anchored fish-aggregating devices around Hawaii. FADs are used to attract tuna and billfish in the recreational and commercial fisheries and sharks frequently eat these fish after they have been hooked, but before they can be retrieved. Fishermen trying to deter sharks from the  FADs often end up killing the shark. Researchers trained local fishermen to capture and tag oceanic whitetip sharks at FADs anchored around west Hawaii. They outfitted sharks with acoustic tags and the FADs with acoustic receivers, so that they could tell how much time sharks are spending at each device. The program is ongoing and has enrolled more than 75 fishermen in the tagging effort, with more than 40 sharks tagged. Data shows that sharks spend short amounts of time near individual FADs, but will return to the same areas multiple years in a row.

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Reducing Post-Release Mortality 2018

Five BREP-funded projects in 2018 explored how to reduce post-release mortality in commercial and recreational fisheries in Hawaii and on the East and West Coasts. Results from these projects will help improve understanding and management of post-release mortality in species including sharks and fish.

Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research ($91,780): Documenting post-release survival of bigeye thresher sharks caught using linked buoy gear

Although the deep-set buoy gear swordfish fishery off the West Coast has consistently shown low bycatch rates, fishers routinely catch bigeye thresher sharks, a slow-growing species with low market value. Because bigeye threshers are usually released to save hold-space for swordfish, researchers worked with fishermen to document post-release survival. They also developed proper release protocols following capture in the deep-set buoy gear swordfish fishery. Researchers attached 14 satellite-linked tags on bigeye thresher sharks captured in order to study their post-release survival and movement. The work revealed only one death (94 percent survival), suggesting that this shark species is relatively resilient to capture stress. 

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University of Hawaii ($59,726): A community tagging program aimed at reducing shark death by fish aggregating devices in Hawaii

Researchers from the University of Hawaii started a community tagging program to investigate shark feeding on hooked tuna in small-scale fisheries around Hawaii. The program included a study to provide insight into oceanic whitetip and silky shark behavior around fish aggregating devices, which are used to attract tuna. It also included a social science study to identify practical measures to reduce shark interactions with the tuna fishery. Fishermen were trained in tagging techniques during workshops, and were asked to place electronic tags on sharks captured during normal fishing operations. They were also asked to propose safe and non-lethal strategies for reducing shark bycatch. The program has enrolled more than 100 fishermen who have tagged 115 sharks.

New England Aquarium ($175,854): Using new technology to estimate and reduce post-release death of prohibited sandbar sharks

Many shark species are bycaught in the East Coast recreational fishery, including the sandbar shark. Sandbars are prohibited species that must be released by recreational fishermen in a way that ensures the best chance at survival. Studies suggest that sharks caught from the shore may experience lower survival rates, particularly if they are removed from the water. Survival also varies greatly based on the fishing gear and handling techniques used by the fishermen. Researchers followed the activities of shore-based shark fishermen and tagged 14 captured and released sandbar sharks to monitor their survival and behavior. Data from the tags showed that all sharks were swimming actively up until the time of tag detachment and therefore survived the catch and release event. These results show that sandbar sharks are resilient and are capable of surviving catch and release. It's best when fight times are less than 10 minutes and they are handled for less than 5 minutes without being brought completely out of the water.

South Carolina Wildlife Federation ($81,737): Changing recreational fishing practices to decrease post-release deaths of South Atlantic species

Several years of red snapper closures in the South Atlantic have helped the population rebuild from low levels in the 1980s-1990s, although they are still listed as overfished. The increased numbers and red snappers’ aggressive feeding behavior contribute to high levels of red snapper bycatch and dead discards as anglers fish for other species. Post-release death of red snapper is high due in part to injuries caused by quickly bringing the fish to the surface—an issue known as barotrauma. Descending devices that reduce barotrauma are available, but are not used by many fishermen. Researchers developed an online tutorial and an in-person presentation and hired educators to conduct trainings for fishing clubs in four states. Most participants were given a free descending device for use when fishing. To date, more than 600 anglers have participated in either the online tutorial or in-person training. They also signed a pledge that they would employ all the best fishing practices learned, including rapid return to depth with a descending device.

University of Hawaii ($227,930): Revealing the shark bycatch post-release death black box

Previous BREP projects showed that post-release mortality was high for blue sharks released in the commercial deep-set longline tuna fishery in Hawaii. Most sharks captured in this fishery are released with 10 meters or more of trailing fishing gear. So researchers looked at switching from braided wire to monofilament lines to reduce death rates. They also examined whether this change in material would affect the catch of tuna. They found that fewer sharks were captured using the new gear and that the material did not have an effect on the number of tuna caught. They also tagged 13 sharks to study the post-release deaths of sharks captured using the different materials. Finally, they tested how much force is required to break different types of hooks after they were soaked in seawater. This was to see how long it might take hooks to break off or rust out of a shark’s body. Galvanized hooks are more likely to break off or rust out than stainless steel hooks.

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This report responds to the requirements of Section 316(d) of Magnuson-Stevens Act.