Shark Bycatch Mortality In Commercial Long-Line Fishery

Abstract

Apex marine predators, such as sharks, are critical to ecosystem health and resilience, and their removal can seriously disrupt ocean food webs. Long-line fisheries are one source of anthropogenic shark mortality, and the likelihood of bycatch can be affected by several factors: physical traits (e.g., maturity, body shape) & physiological changes (e.g., blood pH, K+ levels, susceptibility to acidosis); sharks’ active zones & behavior on the line; and technical aspects of a catch (e.g., hook type, gear removal, soak time). Future directions of conservation are explored to mitigate sharks’ bycatch mortality and offer insight into ways to improve conservation. This paper groups future conservation improvements into three categories: communication with fishermen, systematic solutions (e.g., setting laws and improving current MPAs), and project-based solutions (developing specific projects to help mitigate shark bycatch or mortality). Then, the paper ends by acknowledging potential limitations in current-day studies done on shark bycatch mortality.