Lawrence Beerkircher

Improvement of commercial fisheries dockside sampling and biosample collection in the U.S. Caribbean

2018

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center Miami Laboratory Fisheries Statistics Division

Tech Report

"Many species of reef fish contribute to healthy reef ecosystems; in particular, herbivorous fish may play a role in preventing algae from overgrowing corals. Prevention of overfishing of key species relies on sound management strategies based on rigorous science. While the continental U.S. has had an intense length and age commercial fishery dockside sampling program that has provided age structures to production aging labs for decades in support of stock assessments, generally in the U.S. Caribbean commercial collections have been limited to only length data and for some herbivorous species such as parrotfish even the length sampling has been minimal in recent years. Plans are underway to begin the routine collection of age structures from fish during the TIP interview process in the U.S. Caribbean; however, the Territorial sampling staff of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR DRNA) and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (VI DPNR) report little experience with removal of the age structures and what training that has been provided to them locally has been through academia whose experience with structure removal does not consider the appearance of the specimen post-removal. Currently, fish to be sampled must be purchased at $4-$8/lb which limits each programs capability to obtain samples to determine whether aging is feasible (or for routine aging). Sample collection will likely only be palatable to the local fishing industry if the removal techniques leave the specimen in fully salable condition. In addition to actual sample collection, both PR DRNA and VI DPNR utilize the SEFSCs TIP system to guide sampling strategies, data recording/coding, and data entry of commercial dockside biosampling activities; but have never received in person TIP training. Automated quality control checks run on Caribbean TIP data indicate larger deviations from standard protocols than are found in TIP data collected continentally. As part of a two year effort to standardize TIP practices and coding across the southeast region, SEFSC has built capacity to provide training. Under this project, SEFSC sent experienced samplers and TIP training staff to the U.S. Caribbean to provide training to Territorial sampling staff to increase standardized compliance with the TIP system protocols and increase throughput in biosampling from the US Caribbean using methods that would preserve the salability of fishers catches."

FY2016; CRCP Project ID: 31097; Project Title: Improvement of commercial fisheries dockside sampling and biosample collection in the U.S. Caribbean; Principal Investigator: Lawrence Beerkircher