A brief description of Greater Atlantic Region fish and invertebrate discard estimation for the 2015 update to the National Bycatch Report

• Main Author: Blaylock, J. Jessica
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center 2015
• Subjects: Bycatches Fisheries > Estimates > Atlantic Coast U.S.; spiny dogfish; Squalus acanthias
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7289/v5bv7djm; https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/4921

This report describes the discard estimation analysis performed for Greater Atlantic Region (formerly Northeast Region) fish and invertebrates for the National Bycatch Report First Edition Update 2. Estimates of discards that occurred during the 2011, 2012, and 2013 calendar years in all federally managed fisheries in the northeast United States were derived for 34 species of finfish and invertebrates by using a combined discard/kept ratio estimator. Based on this analysis, approximately 63,680 mt (live weight) of discards occurred in 23 fleets in 2011, approximately 61,594 mt (live weight) of discards occurred in 23 fleets in 2012, and approximately 63,603 mt (live weight) of discards occurred in 24 fleets in 2013 across the 34 species considered. In all three years, the predominant species discarded were skates (Rajidae), spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), and Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus). The discards reported in this document may not necessarily correspond directly with the discard estimates derived for individual stock assessments because of differences in stratification and data. Hence, the discard estimates presented here are not definitive, but indicative of where discarding is occurring among commercial fisheries and for which species.