Newsletter

Spawning aggregation issues increasing on the global coral reef radar

The growing number of discussions on aggregation management, and the research and educational projects being conducted, highlight increasing interest in, and awareness of, spawning aggregations globally. The articles in this and earlier newsletters, and the news reports on our website reflect the diversity of this work. Contributing to this, we participate in a wide range of forums and meetings to spread the word.

Since Newsletter 12 in May, we have been extremely busy, particularly in the field but also in further developing educational materials. We have been participating in meetings and projects, ranging from scientific presentations and workshops to modeling the value of aggregating fish to the overall fishery. One major effort has been the upgrading of our website which we are pleased to release at the time of this Newsletter. We welcome feedback on additional materials or information that could be made available on the website. Note also the facelift on our twinned website in Spanish, cared for by Alfonso Aguilar-Perera in Mexico.

Shortened Nassau Grouper Spawning Season Ban
Information extracted from The Nassau Guardian ("BREEF disappointed with shortened grouper ban" October 31, 2009 and "Group protesting shortened grouper ban" November 17, 2009)

The Bahamas will only implement a two month seasonal closure for Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus in January and February 2010. In recent years, the ban lasted December through February. Citing the unprecedented decline in crawfish sales over the past two years that apparently came as a result of the downturn in the economy, the Bahamas Government decided to allow fishermen to fish for extra time in December, which typically was included in the Nassau Grouper closure.

New and Proposed Regulations for the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery Ignore Spawning Site Protection

Erratum: the snapper species concerned should spell 'Vermilion snapper'

[Original Documents can be found: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/SGAmendment16.htm]

In June 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service published a final rule to an amendment of the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. The amendment includes introduction of a 4 month seasonal ban for groupers and a snapper and modification of commercial quotas and bag limits. The amendment will become effective on 29th July 2009.

Mapping Estuarine Spawning Aggregations in Tampa Bay, Florida

The spatial distribution of spawning activity can affect the reproductive success of certain fishes (DeYoung and Rose 1993; Begg and Marteinsdottir 2002) and locating these key areas is critical to accurately assess and manage their populations (Rowe and Hutchings 2003). To determine estuarine spawning locations for spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and sand seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius) in Tampa Bay, Florida, a passive acoustic survey, using a random stratified design, was conducted over two spawning seasons (2004-2005).

Aggregations of milkfish on the outer Great Barrier Reef

The milkfish, Chanos chanos, is found near continental shelves and around oceanic islands throughout the tropical Indo Pacific (Bagarino, 1994). They are generally found in coastal waters and are well-known for broad euryhaline tolerances and migration behaviour. Milkfish are popular food fish in the tropics and as a result of their ecologically robust characteristics the species has been heavily used for aquaculture.

Management and Monitoring of Fish Spawning Aggregations in Western Australia
[Original documents: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frr187/index.php?0401]

The Department of Fisheries of Western Australia released a fisheries research report on the management and monitoring of fish spawning aggregations (FSA) in the West Coast Bioregion (WCB) in March 2009. The research identified fish species that aggregate to spawn within the WCB, and established protocols for FSA monitoring and proposed management. They also investigated the Samson fish Seriola hippos (Carangidae), particularly in relation to the sports fishery targeting deep water spawning aggregations. The research also examined techniques for studying and monitoring FSAs within the WCB.

Fiji Spawning Aggregation Baseline Study - A Progress Report

SCRFA and the Fiji Fisheries Department's Research Division have been working in partnership at a well-known spawning aggregation site situated on the island of Kadavu. This site is in a marine protected area established in 2004. It is popular with divers and patrolled by local village stewards although poaching is believed to occur. In addition to Fisheries Research Division staff, staff from the Wildlife Conservation Society and biologists Dr. Rick Nemeth from the University of the (U.S.) Virgin Islands and Dr. Michael Domeier of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, California joined us on the study this summer.

Over 4 days, from the 7th to 10th October 2009, the Secretariat for Pacific Community (SPC) and SCRFA jointly organized a subregional training workshop at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. The workshop was a response to a request to SPC for assistance from 5 Pacific Island Countries' (PICs) Fisheries Departments that wanted to start monitoring and managing their reef fish spawning aggregations (FSAs).

Aggregation Fishing and Tag-Recapture in Ayau, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

The Nature Conservancy- Indonesia (TNC) and Conservation International-Indonesia (CI) recently conducted a Packardfunded training workshop to assess grouper spawning aggregations at Ayau, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, currently under a system of traditional management based on local marine tenure. The cruise (8th to 17th October) was initiated to train local TNC and CI staff, local community members and government partners (Department of Fisheries-West Papua and Department of Nature Conservation-West Papua) in conventional and acoustic tag-recapture and fisheries monitoring, and demonstrate how this information can be used in fisheries management and MPA design. In Raja Ampat, grouper (fish) spawning aggregations (FSA) have been targeted by local fishers for the Southeast Asia-based live reef food fish trade (LRFFT) since the 1980s.