Evaluating Catch, Effort, and Bag Limits on Directed Trips in the Recreational Summer Flounder Party Boat Fishery

Abstract

The summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus is one of the most sought‐after recreational fish along the mid‐Atlantic coast of the United States. This fishery is primarily a consumptive fishery. The stock has been successfully rebuilding but remains below statutory rebuilding goals. Managers accordingly have restrained the annual quota primarily by increasing size limits, with a resulting increase in discard mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate new approaches to bag and size limits that minimize discard mortality while increasing angler satisfaction within the constraints of promulgated catch quotas. Three alternative management scenarios (slot limit, reduced minimum size, and cumulative size scenarios) were tested on party boats from New Jersey and New York. Total catch (by number) was lowest for control fishing trips (2006 state regulation) and higher for all three experimental scenarios because the experimental scenarios resulted in a greater number of kept fish. Discard‐to‐catch ratio (by fish weight and number) was highest for control trips, and landings (by weight and number) were lowest for the control scenario. Recreational fishermen operating under the reduced minimum size and cumulative size scenarios kept the most fish; these scenarios had the lowest discard‐to‐catch ratios. The slot limit scenario was intermediate in the discard‐to‐catch ratio and also in the number of kept fish. All three alternative management scenarios resulted in landing more fish under a biomass‐neutral fishery to retain catch within allocation limits. Relative to 2006 legal conditions, the alternative scenarios produced proportional increases in landings by a factor of 1.75 to 2.09, while reducing discard mortality by 41–63% and maintaining the same total fishing mortality (landings plus discards) by weight.

Direct observation of fishing effort, catch, and discard rates of charter boats targeting reef fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico

“…A first fish rule would allow vessels to retain all fishes caught until a singleor multiple-species daily bag limit is reached. A cumulative length limit regulation would set a daily length limit such that the sum of the lengths (e.g., TLs) of all retained individuals of a single species could not exceed (Bochenek et al, 2010;.…”

“…In testing alternative regulations to bag and size limits, Bochenek et al (2010) found that the cumulative length limit scenario decreased discard mortality by up to 63% and increased landings more than 2-fold without increasing fishing mortality rates, compared with levels observed under status quo regulations, in the recreational fishery for summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) in New Jersey. However, the efficacy of these types of alternative management strategies for reduction of discards is contingent upon effort reduction and may not be successful if fishermen high-grade live fish or simply target additional species upon reaching the daily bag limit for their primary target species.…”

Recall bias in recreational summer flounder party boat trips and angler preferences to new approaches to bag and size limits

“…1). Detailed descriptions of the party boats, areas fished, and number of trips are provided in Bochenek et al [4].…”

“…Each angler was given a numbered tag and a one-page flier describing the current day's fishing scenario. One or two observers were present on each trip and collected angler-specific data on kept and discarded summer flounder as the fish were caught [4]. At the end of the trip, observers gave each angler C14 years of age a one-page questionnaire and asked them to complete and return the survey to a marked box prior to leaving the boat.…”

“…Bochenek et al [4] described the impact of each alternate bag-and-size-limit scenario on discards, landings, and the discard-to-catch ratio. Powell et al [5] evaluated the health of discarded fish relative to the presumed 10% mortality rate [3].…”