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Validating an ecological model with fisheries management applications: the relationship between loggerhead by-catch and distance to the coast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

José C. Báez ,
Raimundo Real ,
Jesús Bellido ,
David Macias ,
José M. de la Serna  and
Juan A. Camiñas
José C. Báez*
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Spain Universidad de Málaga, Departamento de Biología Animal, Málaga, Spain
Raimundo Real
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga, Departamento de Biología Animal, Málaga, Spain
Jesús Bellido
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga, Departamento de Biología Animal, Málaga, Spain Aula del Mar de Málaga, Avenida. Manuel Agustín Heredia 35, 29001 Málaga, Spain
David Macias
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Spain
José M. de la Serna
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Spain
Juan A. Camiñas
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Spain COPEMED, Oficina de Málaga, Paseo del Parque, Málaga, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J.C. Báez, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Spain emails: jcarlos.baez@ma.ieo.es; granbaez_29@hotmail.com
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Abstract

On the one hand, a recent study on sea turtle by-catch during surface longline fishing targeting swordfish in the western Mediterranean Sea showed that sea turtle by-catch is independent of fishing effort and other technological factors. When the distance to the coast increases, there is a higher probability of catching a loggerhead turtle. The authors proposed to avoid fisheries further than 35 nautical miles (approximately 65 km) from the coast. However, the proposed 35 nautical miles limit could be useful where the continental shelf is narrow, as in the Balearic Sea, and useless where it widens. On the other hand, ecological model validation is considered essential for management application. The objective of the present paper is to validate the new fisheries loggerhead by-catch model in different areas outside the Balearic Sea with wider continental shelves, aimed at maintaining sustainable fishing activity compatible with the conservation of the loggerhead populations. Our present results validate the previous model, and stress the importance of the eco-geographical variable distance to the coast in understanding the loggerhead by-catch (or incidental capture) per unit effort for the longline fisheries targeting swordfish.

Keywords

Caretta carettaby-catchecological modelsurface longlinefisheries managementsea turtleXiphias gladius
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 91 , Special Issue 6: Fish Ecology , September 2011 , pp. 1381 - 1383
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

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