Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
hour trips daily. These vessels can range in size from three to 30 passengers and target shallow-water
species complex fishes (PIFSC 2004). Charter bottomfishing is responsible for a significant amount of all
effort and bycatch in the shallow-water complex (WPRFMC 2004b).
The annual bottomfish harvest in Guam is highly variable (Figure 4-12) and appears to be due to
variation in fishing effort rather than from changes in fish stocks (PIFSC 2004). BMUS species are
harvested by both boat-based and inshore methods including spearing, trolling, and the use of nets such
as gill nets, castnets, and surround nets (WPRFMC 2004b). Demand for fishes in the deep and shallowwater
complexes continues to exceed the locally caught supply and may be contributing to the overall
decline in nearshore and reef-associated bottomfish populations.
Bottomfish (1000 Pounds)
175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
Total bottomfish Commercial bottomfish BMUS
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03
Years
Figure 4-12. Annual estimated total landings (1000 pounds) of bottomfish species on Guam from
1982 through 2003. Source: (PIFSC 2004).
Total bottomfish and BMUS landings increased 33% and 57% respectively from 2002 to 2003 (Figure 4-
12). While the commercial bottomfish landings have fluctuated though the years, total bottomfish landings
steadily increased from 1982 to 1996, and have since decreased (WPRFMC 2004b; Figure 4-12). Total
bottomfish trips and hours peaked in 1995 (Figure 4-13) due to several factors: a 60% increase in the
number of boats participating in the fishery, the area experienced more calm days than in previous years,
and the inclusion of Agat Marina into the offshore survey in 1994. Noticeable declines in 1996, 1997, and
2002 were the result of typhoons. Bottomfishing effort saw very little change from 2002 to 2003.
CNMI—The CNMI bottomfish fishery occurs primarily around the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. This
discussion will focus on catches landed in Saipan, which has by far the largest market of the three islands
(WPRFMC 2004b). CNMI’s bottomfish fishery, like Guam, is composed of small fishing boats that engage
in subsistence and commercial bottomfishing within a 17.3 NM radius of Saipan (PIFSC 2004). Similar to
Guam, the bottomfish fishery is broken down into two sectors: deep-water (>150 m) and shallow-water
(20 to 150 m) fisheries. Fishing trips are usually short in duration (one day) and restricted to daylight
hours. Common gears included handlines, handmade hand reels, and electric reels. Fishermen do not
employ fathometers or nautical charts relying on land features for guidance to fishing areas. This results
in inefficient catch rates when compared to pelagic trolling fisheries. Large commercial vessels (>5 tons),
able to make extended fishing trips, focus their efforts from Esmeralda Bank to Zealandia Bank (PISFC
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