Fishing for GLOUCESTER, Mass. >> A full net breaks the ocean's surface, and its slick, flashing contents spill on deck. Some fish squirm and flop. Much of the catch is already dead.
a bycatch fix
Hawaii fisheries join others in the
U.S. to find solutions for the
problem of accidental catchesBy Jay Lindsay
Associated PressThe fisherman was after flounder, though he's also hauled up a number of cod. But these cod, valuable as they are, can't be sold at local markets. They'll be dumped back into the ocean as trash.
That "bycatch" -- fish of one species caught unintentionally while targeting another -- is a huge problem. One study estimates fishermen throw back up to 48 percent of their catch.
Practically every fishery in the United States has a bycatch problem, says Paul Dalvell, pelagics coordinator with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in Honolulu, the agency that manages Hawaii's fisheries.
In New England, regulators say to protect vulnerable stocks like cod, they must limit what fishermen bring into port, even if it means accepting some waste. The alternative is completely closing fishing areas, which would cripple the industry there.
But Hawaii does not have the same problem of incidental fish catches as New England, Dalvell said.
"Our level of bycatch is between 10 and 15 percent and that includes species that have no marketable value," he said.
Moreover, species such as mahi mahi, ono and opah, which are considered part of the bycatch, have a market here.
Even fish that would once have been discarded here are now being used. Dalvell credits Hawaii's chefs, who have been willing to experiment with all kinds of fish in their restaurants.
Opah, or moonfish, is a good example of how a fish's reputation has improved over time, he said.
"I think 20 years ago no one would have had much use for Opah, but what has happened is that the chefs have played around with them and found a use for them," Dalvell said.
But Hawaii is not immune to all bycatch-related problems. Turtles and seabirds are still getting caught, Dalvell said.
In New England, part of the bycatch problem relates to different species of fish that swim together, making it difficult for fishermen to pursue one type of fish without pulling up another.
In Hawaii, sea birds such as albatross, sea turtles and swordfish go together. The endangered turtle population led federal Judge David Ezra to eventually outlaw long-line fishing for swordfish in Hawaii waters last year.
Of the original 120 long-line fishing boats, there are now about 80 boats left fishing Hawaiian waters. Those boats primarily target tuna, Dalvell said. Regulations are now being developed to address the bird bycatch problem, Dalvell said. Some practical solutions include using blue-dyed bait that can't be seen by the birds and night fishing.
Experiments taking place to reduce turtle interactions have shown some success, Dalvell said.
"There are some indications in National Marine Fisheries experiments taking place at Kewalo Basin that at least the captive green turtles seem to ignore the blue-dye bait," he said. "Another is to introduce a smell that would perhaps repel turtles."
Other possibilities include changing the colors of long-line fishing gear.
The equipment could be changed to so-called "stealth" gear, Dalvell said. For example black or dark lines could be used instead of white lines and dull-finish hooks instead of shiny hooks could be used so turtles would not be curious enough to investigate, he said.
In New England, it seems the solution to bycatch problems also lies with gear changes.
With a better understanding of fish behavior and habitat, a low-tech tool like a net can be used to selectively pick out certain fish, experts there say.
One experimental net is equipped with a black tunnel that fish are reluctant to swim through. Instead they move upward through mesh that allows smaller, younger fish to get out.
Another net, already in use, is equipped with a "Nordmore grate," which acts as a sort of filter allowing small species like shrimp to pass into the net, while deflecting larger fish out.
In the squid fishery, a divided net is being developed to catch squid while avoiding scup, an overfished species they swim with. The design is based on video that shows squid rising from the ocean bottom when a net approaches, but scup staying down.
Paul Parker of the Cape Cod's Commercial Hook Fisherman's Association says gear improvements won't matter if managers don't gather better statistics on how bycatch affects certain species in certain areas. That means more on-boat observers to compile bycatch numbers.
The issue is also complicated by mistrust between regulators and industry, built over years of clashes about restrictions.
"If I come up with something and it works, are they going to throw it in a drawer and keep regulating me to death?" wondered Gloucester fisherman Joe Scola.
But John Williamson, a member of the New England Fishery Management Council, which helps set regulations and is opposed to getting rid of bycatch limits wanted by the fisherman, said their input is invaluable. "Clearly, for regulations to work, fishermen have to be the ones who are directing the solutions."
Star-Bulletin staff writer Lyn Danninger contributed to this story.