Cooperative Behavior to Avoid Bycatch of Yellowtail Flounder in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

Cooperative approaches to address catch of non-target species that include input from fishermen, scientists and managers can be successful for harvesting valuable target species while conserving non-target species.  Within the cooperative context, the fishing industry plays a role in defining objectives and outcomes of harvest strategies.  Often these goals differ from scientific or regulatory objectives that focus on biological and ecological mandates.  A cooperative approach to bycatch avoidance can ensure that the fishing objectives are acknowledged and prioritized.  While the outcome of bycatch avoidance programs can be ecologically beneficial, specific aspects of program design should include measures that lead to socioeconomic benefits.  We employed a cooperative and iterative approach to address bycatch of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) in the Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery.  We examined socioeconomic issues associated with the management of yellowtail flounder Annual Catch Limits in closed areas of Georges Bank.  Our objective was to maximize scallop yield from the closed areas by collaborating with scallop fishermen.  This objective was contingent upon avoiding bycatch of yellowtail flounder, because the bycatch limit can result in premature closure of the areas.  We focused on the socioeconomic goal of harvesting the entire scallop allocation by avoiding premature area closure rather than emphasizing the conservation goal of reducing bycatch of overfished yellowtail flounder.  We developed a bycatch avoidance system that used real-time, spatially-specific, fishery-dependent data to a) determine high density bycatch areas and b) advise the fishing fleet to avoid these ‘hot spots.’  We employed a two-phase approach to bycatch avoidance.  Phase one provided a map of previously collected data on target and bycatch species’ distributions prior to the fishery opening.  Phase two consisted of daily transmissions from fishermen about the amount and location of bycatch, rapid identification of “hotspot” areas that could lead to premature closure and loss of target species’ yield, and transmission of a daily bycatch advisory back to the fleet.  This case study demonstrates cooperative fishing behavior to meet a common objective.  We discuss the implications of forming partnerships among fishermen and with scientists to solve fisheries bycatch problems.