Sobrevivência de peixes pelágicos capturados com espinhel no Oceano Atlântico Oeste Equatorial

Abstract

Circle hooks (15/0 and 17/0) were compared with traditional hooks (type "J" 10/0) and used "hook timers (HT)” to identify the time capture and time in which the fish remained in line until haulback. Survival rates ranged considerably between species and species groups, and between the types of hooks and hooking location. As example, mortality rates showed billfishes significantly lower in circle hooks in compared to the traditional. The swordfish, in turn, reported higher mortality regardless the type of hook and hooking location, unlike the blue shark, which showed high levels of survival. By moreover, species of tunas and billfihes analyzed showed a significant trend toward reduction in mortality of individuals captured externally, resulting in an association between hooking location and the condition of the animal (χ2 = 13:54, p = 0.00023; χ2 = 27.35, p = 1.697e-07, respectively). For target species had a trend of increased survival with increased length of individual fish, although the group of sharks that trend was only observed for the blue shark, with a marginally significant difference, while other shark species showed a pattern otherwise, although the difference was statistically significant only for the crocodile shark. A total of 431 HT were activated and retrieved with fish on the line, represented by 20 species, of which 13 were captured more frequently at night. Some species demonstrated endure long periods of capture surviving until the time of haulback. Results suggest that knowledge of factors affecting survival of pelagic fish caught in fishing longline can develop/adopt fishing methods that reduce mortality primarily by members of the bycatch and animals caught incidentally.