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The influence of the type of hook on the capture of groupers and bycatch with bottom longline in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2014

Khaled Echwikhi ,
Imed Jribi ,
Béchir Saidi  and
Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai
Khaled Echwikhi*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Sea Sciences and Technologies, PO Box 1035, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia Institute of Applied Biology of Medenine, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia
Imed Jribi
Affiliation:
Sfax Faculty of Sciences, PO Box 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia
Béchir Saidi
Affiliation:
National Institute of Sea Sciences and Technologies, PO Box 1035, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia
Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai
Affiliation:
National Institute of Sea Sciences and Technologies, PO Box 1035, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: K. Echwikhi, Institute of Applied Biology of Medenine, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia. email: chouikhikhaled@yahoo.fr
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Abstract

Members of the Epinephelinae subfamily of serranids (‘grouper’) are heavily exploited by bottom longline in the Gulf of Gabès located in the south of Tunisia. In addition to direct mortality, hook and release mortalities likely occur when fish are caught and released, due to injuries sustained from hooking as well as those associated with retrieval. During five experimental trips (29 fishing sets) conducted in August 2011 from the port of Djerba (south of the Gulf of Gabès), we evaluated the effect of hook styles (9/0 ‘J’ and 12/0 circle hook) on groupers and non-target species. A total of 340 specimens representing 10 species were captured. The higher catch rate was registered for Epinephelus aeneus. The majority of groupers captured were female mature. The circle hook increased the capture of the most common grouper E. aeneus and did not affect the catch of Epinephelus marginatus and Epinepheleus costae. The effect of the type of hook on hooking location was inconclusive. Managing of the grouper fishery using some management actions such as size limits, bag limits, and closed seasons may prevent more unnecessary losses of grouper species. From this preliminary study, a definite conclusion for or against the use of circle hook cannot be drawn. Further research on the role of gear modification and hook designs in reducing by-catch, hooking-related injury and mortality should be encouraged.

Keywords

grouperfisheriescircle hooklonglinecatch ratemortalityby-catch
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 1 , February 2015 , pp. 207 - 214
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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