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Targeted Catch‐and‐Release of Prohibited Sharks: Sand Tigers in Coastal Delaware Waters
Author(s) -
Kilfoil James P.,
Wetherbee Bradley M.,
Carlson John K.,
Fox Dewayne A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1080/03632415.2017.1306974
Subject(s) - carcharias , fishery , fishing , catch and release , recreation , range (aeronautics) , hook , recreational fishing , geography , ecology , biology , engineering , juvenile , structural engineering , aerospace engineering
The popularity of recreational shark fishing appears to be on the rise in recent years, with current policies often failing to address the direct targeting of protected species in this sector. Examination of catch trends from the past decade revealed that more than 66 million sharks were caught by recreational anglers along the U.S. eastern coast alone, including more than 1.2 million prohibited species. Using Sand Tigers Carcharias taurus captured by volunteer anglers as a case study to evaluate post‐release mortality, 33 individuals were fitted with external acoustic tags and passively tracked using an array of acoustic receivers. Although rates of internal hooking and gear retention were high (57% and 60%), short‐term post‐release mortality was relatively low (6%) and was heavily influenced by hook location and retention. Given the dramatic increase in the range and extent of recreational fishing targeting prohibited species, even relatively low mortality rates may still pose a significant threat to recovery.