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

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
1000 Pounds
30
20
10
0
Emperors Longtail Snapper
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03
Years
Figure 4-16. Annual estimated commercial landing (1000 pounds) of Emperors and Longtail
Snapper on CNMI from 1981 through 2003. Source: PIFSC (2004).
reef species may fall into commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, or both. The methods used to
collect these species may range in sophistication from hand-collection to the use of complex traditional
techniques or modern vessels and equipment. Various species of finfish are harvested using a range of
modern and traditional gear types. Hook-and-line is currently the most common gear type used in the
study area and may range from the use of handlines to rod and reels with lures and baited hooks
(Hensley and Sherwood 1993). The Chamoru people (indigenous people of Guam) have a long history of
net fishing but gill nets are a more recent introduction to the island (Hensley and Sherwood 1993). Gill
nets are popular due to their availability, the comparative low cost, and the effectiveness of the material
(Hensley and Sherwood 1993). Spearfishing is generally a highly selective fishery and targets fish of
larger species such as parrotfish. SCUBA spearfishing and gill netting are still allowed on Guam, which is
contrary to the prevailing conservation ethic.
Guam—Much of Guam’s transition from traditional fishing methods to more modern techniques occurred
since WWII (PIFSC 2004). This shift in fishing techniques has contributed to the decline of nearshore reef
fish landings. Contemporary methods used on Guam include hook-and-line, net fishing, spear fishing, and
hook-and-gaff (Table 4-6).
Finfish are the primary harvest (>95%) of the reef fish fishery and may include fish of all sizes (Hensley
and Sherwood 1993). More than 100 species of fish are harvested from the coral reefs around Guam
including the families Acanthuridae, Carangidae, Gerreidae, Holocentridae, Kyphosidae, Labridae,
Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae, Mugilidae, Mullidae, Scaridae, and Siganidae (Hensley and Sherwood 1993). It
was also noted that seven families (Acanthuridae, Mullidae, Siganidae, Carangidae, Mugilidae,
Lethrinidae, and Scaridae) were consistently among the top ten species in any given year from 1991
through 1995, accounting for 45% of the annual fish harvest (WPRFMC 2001). The nearshore fishery
harvests approximately 40 taxa of invertebrates including 12 crustacean taxa, 24 mollusk taxa, and 4
echinoderm taxa (Hensley and Sherwood 1993; WPRFMC 2001). Certain species such as the bumphead
parrotfish, humphead wrasse, stingrays, parrotfish, jacks, emperors, and groupers are rare on shallow
reefs due to intense fishing efforts (Green 1997).
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