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Subjective judgement in data subsetting: implications for CPUE standardisation and stock assessment of non-target chondrichthyans
Published on June 24 2011. J. M. Braccini, M.-P. Etienne and S. J. D. Martel. ABSTRACT: Standardisation of catch-per-effort (CPUE) data is an essential component for nearly all stock assessments. The first step in CPUE standardisation is to separate the comparable from the non-comparable catch and effort records and this is normally done based on
Are spatial closures better than size limits for halting the decline of the North Sea thornback ray, Raja clavata?
Published on 24 June 2011. Jessica Wiegand, Ewan Hunter and Nicholas K. Dulvy. ABSTRACT: A key challenge of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management is to sustain viable populations of large-bodied less-productive vulnerable elasmobranchs that are the by-catch of fisheries that target more productive species. The North Sea population of the thornback ray (Raja clavata)
Evaluating catch and mitigating risk in a multispecies, tropical, inshore shark fishery within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Published on 24 June 2011. Alastair V. Harry, Andrew J. Tobin, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, David J. Welch, Amos Mapleston, Jimmy White, Ashley J. Williams and Jason Stapley. ABSTRACT: Small-scale and artisanal fisheries for sharks exist in most inshore, tropical regions of the world. Although often important in terms of food security, their low value and
Reducing the environmental impact of shark-control programs: a case study from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Published on 24 June 2011. Geremy Cliff and Sheldon F. J. Dudley. ABSTRACT: Large-scale shark-control programs at popular beaches in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, provide protection against shark attack. Although these programs have enhanced bathing safety, reducing the environmental impacts of decades of fishing for large sharks and
Evaluation and use of a portable field kit for measuring whole-blood lactate in sharks
Published on 24 June 2011. C. A. Awruch, C. Simpfendorfer and N. W. Pankhurst. ABSTRACT: Measurement of lactate is becoming a common procedure in assessing the physiological effects of capture stress in sharks, although the necessity to measure the concentrations in the laboratory limits the ability for field assessments. Portable lactate analysers offer an alternative,
Decadal trends in shark catches and effort from the New South Wales, Australia, Shark Meshing Program 1950–2010
Published on 24 June 2011. D. D. Reid, W. D. Robbins and V. M. Peddemors. ABSTRACT: The New South Wales (NSW) government has operated a program of netting beaches for the protection of swimmers and surfers against shark attack since 1937 in Sydney, and since 1949 in Newcastle and Wollongong. The scope and directives of
Wet-season effects on the distribution of juvenile pigeye sharks, Carcharhinus amboinensis, in tropical nearshore waters
Published on 24 June 2011. Danielle M. Knip, Michelle R. Heupel, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Andrew J. Tobin and James Moloney. ABSTRACT: Tropical nearshore environments are highly dynamic systems owing to extreme freshwater flow and flooding episodes that occur in wet-season months. We hypothesised that juvenile sharks in tropical nearshore waters respond to seasonal freshwater inflow
Abundance, habitat use and movement patterns of the shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus) in a restored southern California estuary
Published on 24 June 2011. Thomas J. Farrugia, Mario Espinoza and Christopher G. Lowe. ABSTRACT: Coastal elasmobranchs such as the shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus) seasonally use bays and estuaries for mating, pupping and feeding. However, many human-populated coastal areas have been developed, making them unavailable to coastal fish populations. The Full Tidal Basin (FTB) of
Fine-scale spatial and seasonal partitioning among large sharks and other elasmobranchs in south-eastern Queensland, Australia
Published on 24 June 2011. Stephen Taylor, Wayne Sumpton and Tony Ham. ABSTRACT: Our understanding of the ecological role of larger elasmobranchs is limited by a lack of information on their spatial and seasonal abundance. Analysis of 14 years of gill-net catch data in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, revealed that the species composition of large sharks
Distribution, site affinity and regional movements of the manta ray, Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868), along the east coast of Australia
Published on 24 June 2011. Lydie I. E. Couturier, Fabrice R. A. Jaine , Kathy A. Townsend, Scarla J. Weeks, Anthony J. Richardson and Michael B. Bennett. ABSTRACT: Despite the increasing tourism interest worldwide for the manta ray, Manta alfredi, very little is known about its biology and ecology. Knowledge of its distribution and movement
Long-term membership of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in coastal aggregations in Seychelles and Djibouti
Published on 24 June 2011. David Rowat, Katie Brooks, Abi March, Ciara McCarten, Daniel Jouannet, Luke Riley, Gareth Jeffreys, Morgan Perri, Michel Vely and Bruno Pardigon. ABSTRACT: In coastal waters of several locations globally, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) form seasonal aggregations, most of which largely comprise juvenile males of 4–8 m length. Evaluation of the period
Pop-up archival satellite tagging of Carcharias taurus: movements and depth/temperature-related use of south-eastern Australian waters
Published on 24 June 2011. N. M. Otway and M. T. Ellis. ABSTRACT: Knowledge of migratory movements and depth/temperature-related use of coastal waters by sharks can lead to more sustainable fisheries and assist in managing the long-term conservation of those species now considered threatened. Pop-up archival satellite tags (PATs) provide an alternative to conventional tagging
Sex- and maturity-based differences in movement and migration patterns of grey nurse shark, Carcharias taurus, along the eastern coast of Australia
Published on 24 June 2011. C. S. Bansemer and M. B. Bennett. ABSTRACT: Photo-identification techniques were used to investigate temporal and spatial distributions of Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque, 1810) in relation to maturity, sex and pregnancy status at 19 sites along Australia’s eastern coastline. Of 931 individual sharks identified between 2004 and 2008, 479 were female
Distribution, reproduction and population structure of three gulper sharks (Centrophorus, Centrophoridae) in south-east Australian waters
Published on 24 June 2011 K. J. Graham and R. K. Daley. ABSTRACT: Gulper sharks (Centrophorus spp.) are commercially fished in all oceans but the taxonomy and biology of many species are not clearly defined, and stocks are extremely vulnerable to over-exploitation. We present distributional, size-frequency and reproductive data for three species (Centrophorus harrissoni, C.
Uterine fluid composition of the dwarf ornate wobbegong shark (Orectolobus ornatus) during gestation
Published on 24 June 2011 Megan T. Ellis and Nicholas M. Otway . ABSTRACT: Low fecundity in chondrichthyans makes them extremely susceptible to fishing, so understanding the various reproductive strategies in this group is vital for management. Knowledge of the uterine fluid (UF) composition throughout gestation is fundamental to this understanding, yet is restricted to