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

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
Trips/Hours (1000's)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Trips Hours
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03
Years
Figure 4-13. Annual estimated bottomfish trips and hours on Guam from 1982 through 2003.
Source: WPRFMC (2004b).
2004; WPRFMC 2004b). These vessels utilize GPS, fathometers, and electric or hydraulic reels and it is
thought that these larger fishing vessels have landed the majority of the deep-water bottomfish around
CNMI (PIFSC 2004).
Deep-water species, such as snappers and groupers, are targeted largely by commercial fisherman,
whereas shallow-water species, such as emperor-type fishes, are caught by both subsistence and
commercial fisheries (PIFSC 2004). Snappers targeted in the deep-water fishery include members of
Etelis (notably Etelis coruscans – longtail snapper) and Pristipomoides, whereas the eight-banded
grouper (Epinephelus octofasciatus) is the only targeted grouper. The shallow-water fishery, targets the
redgill emperor (Lethrinus rubrioperculatus). This fishery is primarily commercial, but does include
subsistence fishing. Hand lines, home-fabricated hand reels and electric reels are the commonly used
gear for small-scale fishing operations, whereas electric reels and hydraulics are the commonly used gear
for the larger operations in this fishery. Of the bottomfish species caught on CNMI, deepwater snapper
can be sold for the highest commercial prices (WPRFMC 2004b). Commercial bottomfish landings on
CNMI have fluctuated from 1983 through 2003 with peaks in 1996 and 2001 (Figure 4-14). The increase
in the number of large vessels participating in the deep-water bottomfishery can be attributed to the peak
in 1996, whereas, the peak in 2001 probably reflects a change in DFW staff (WPRFMC 2004b). Overall,
bottomfish landings showed a slight decrease from 2002 to 2003 probably due to rough sea conditions
(WPRFMC 2004b). Shallow-water and deep-water bottomfish landings have mirrored each other from
1983 through 1995 when deep-water bottomfish landings increased significantly (Figure 4-15). This is
likely due to an increase in the number and range of large vessels targeting deep-water bottomfish
(WPRFMC 2004b). Since 1994, deep-water bottomfish landings have continuously been slightly higher
than shallow-water bottomfish landings. Longtail snapper and emperor landings have fluctuated from
1983 through 2003, peaking in 1996 and 1997 respectively (Figure 4-16). Longtail snapper landings
decreased by almost 50% while emperor landings increased by almost 50% from 2002 to 2003.
4.3.4 Reef Fishery
The majority of the coral reef fisheries in the U.S. Pacific Islands occur in nearshore waters (80% to
100%) with only a small component (