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Exploratory Field Evaluation of Hook-Release Mortality in Tautog (Tautoga onitis) in Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Lucy, John A. Arendt, Michael D. |
| Copyright Year | 1999 |
| Abstract | In April 1996, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved a Tautog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requiring states to systematically adopt a 14 in. (356 mm) TL minimum size limit. Release-mortality was assumed to be 25%. Between October and December 1997-1998, 299 tautog (235-520 mm TL; 9-20 in.) were caught using angling gear to estimate release mortality in Virginia's tautog fishery. Fishing occurred at shallow (3-10 m; 10-33 ft.) and deep (12-17 m; 39-56 ft.) water depths at temperatures between 9-l 8°C ( 48-64°F). Tautog were tagged, accumulated in aerated livewells, then returned to depth of capture in galvanized wire cages. Mean fish density per cage was six tautog and mean soak time per cage was 115 h (4.8 days). Releasemortality for tautog (n=5) for both years was 1.67%, all occurring in fish taken from deeper water. Mortality rates were comparable to rates reported in Connecticut waters (1994-98). Introduction Catch-and-release fishing has gained popularity among recreational anglers in recent years. This paradigm shift among recreational anglers has come about due to large scale educational efforts (Lucy et al., 1990) and as a result of law enforcement (i.e., anglers required to release under-sized fish). Many states, including Virginia, now have incentive programs to encourage catch-and-release fishing. The Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (VSFT) awards citations for 32 species. In an effort to promote conservation, "release only" citations (9 species) and "release" citations ( 4 species) are designated for 41% of total species in the program (www.state.va.us/mrc/citation). The angler-based Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) also promotes tag-release for eight recreationally important finfish species (Bain and Lucy, 1996, 1997; Bain et aL, 1998; Lucy et al., 1999). As catch-and-release fishing continues to become integrated into mainstream recreational fisheries, there is increasing need to document shortand long-term survival rates for released fish. Release-mortality results from a host of factors including location of hook wound, handling stress, bait type, and an assortment of environmental factors such as temperature, depth/pressure, and dissolved oxygen concentration (Muoneke and Childress, 1994). Release-mortality rates are typically species-specific (Muoneke and Childress, 1994) and have been reported to be less than 5% (Malchoff and Heins, 1997; Matlock et al., 1993; Murphy et al., 1995) to greater than 25% (Diodati and Richards, 1996; Wilson and Burns, 1996; Lucy and Holton, 1997). Mortality rates are typically greater for fish hooked deeply or in sensitive areas (Lucy and Holton, 1997), for fish caught at deeper depths (Wilson and Bums, 1996) and for fish caught at warmer water temperatures (Murphy et al., 1985). Unfortunately, fisheries management plans often must set minimum size limits and apply release-mortality rates without the benefit of significant field research data. The Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for Tautog (ASMFC, 1996) provides an example of this scenario. 2 Tautog (Tautoga onitis) are a large temperate wrasse (Perciformes: Labridae) distributed along the eastern seaboard of North America between Nova Scotia and Georgia (ASMFC, 1996). In the mid-1980's, annual tautog landings began to decline throughout the distribution and reached record lows in 1993-1994. Tautog are considered over fished (fishing mortality> natural mortality) throughout their distribution range (ASMFC, 1996). In an effort to reduce fishing mortality to a level equal with natural mortality (F=M=0.15), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) passed a management plan for tautog in April 1996. The tautog FMP required states to systematically increase the minimum legal catch size for tautog to 13 in. (330 mm) TL in 1997 and 14 in. (356 mm) TL in 1998 (ASMFC, 1996). ThetautogFMP assumed a recreational discard mortality of 25% (ASMFC, 1996). 3 Determining mortality for fish hooked and released was specifically requested by the tautogFMP (ASMFC, 1996). Preliminary estimates from laboratory studies indicated much lower (1.8-2.6%) release-mortality rates than listed in the tautog FMP (Lucy, 1995; Bain and Lucy, 1997). Beginning in November 1997, a field-based study was undertaken to estimate catch-and-release mortality rates in Virginia's recreational tautog fishery. The primary objective of this study was to quantify release-mortality for tautog, particularly for sub-legal sized fish. The second objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of environmental variables (water temperature, depth/pressure) on survival. Methods Tautog were collected using standard recreational fishing gear (two-hook bottom rigs) at several fishing locations in the lower Chesapeake Bay (Figure 1. ). Bait consisted of fresh cut hard blue crab (Ca/linectes sapidus) or hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) and hook sizes were variable (Eagle Claw 1/0 #3/0 Long-shank J-hooks, Mustad #2-3 blackfish hooks or Virginia tautog hooks). Tautog were reeled to the surface, netted, then brought aboard the boat After removing the hook, tautog were measured for total length, tagged with a Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) t-bar anchor tag (TBA2, Hallprint), then held in an aerated livewell. Hooking information, handling times, and fish conditions were recorded.. After sufficient numbers of tautog were accumulated in the livewell (generally less than 2 h), tautog were placed in weighted (iron re-bar) Figure 1: Location of Study Sites in the Lower Chesapeake Bay ( 1 =Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, 3rd and 4th Islands; 2=Concrete Ships; 3=Cape Charles) 4 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2665&context=reports |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.21220/m2-j1hj-1p65 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
