*Commonwealth of
Massachusetts*![](media/image1.jpeg){width="1.1416666666666666in"
height="1.1520833333333333in"}![](media/image2.png){width="1.0618055555555554in"
height="1.3006944444444444in"}

**Division of Marine Fisheries**

# Martha's Vineyard Field Station

P.O. Box 68

Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 02568

(508)693-4272

fax (508)693-4157

December 21, 2005

Mr. John H. Dunnigan

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

National Marine Fisheries Service

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Dear Mr. Dunnigan:

As per your request, I've conducted a peer review of the following
sections of the Draft Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
Fishery Management Plan: Sections 3.8.2-3.8.5 (Standardized Bycatch
Reporting Methodology), 4.4.2 (Time/Area Closures), Chapter 10
(Essential Fish Habitat) and associated appendices (A, B).

In doing so, I made every effort to evaluate the clarity of hypotheses,
the validity of the research design, the quality of the data collection
procedures, the robustness of the methods employed, the appropriateness
of the methods for the hypothesis being tested, the extent to which the
conclusions follow from the analysis, and the strengths and limitations
of the overall product. My comments on each of the sections follow.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any additional information. I
thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important Fishery
Management Plan.

Sincerely,

Gregory Skomal

Senior Marine Fisheries Biologist

**Section 3.8.2: Standardized Reporting of Bycatch**

This section describes and discusses the three major sources of bycatch
data for HMS: self-reported logbook data, at-sea observer data, and
survey data. While this would imply three discrete sources,
fishery-specific information indicates that there are multiple
self-reporting programs (e.g. pelagic longline logbook, vessel trip
reports, supplemental discard forms), two observer programs, and two
recreational dockside surveys. I suggest that a table or two be added to
this section to clarify each of these programs on a fishery-specific
basis and to eliminate any potential redundancies.

Section 3.8.2.6: Recreational Handgear Fishery

For the last several years, members of the US Advisory Committee to
ICCAT have questioned the validity of HMS catch and bycatch estimates
derived from the two recreational surveys (MRFSS and LPS). Specifically,
the BAYS species working group stated in 2005 that "MRFSS and LPS
landings data collection programs are fatally flawed and have failed. It
is time to acknowledge that they cannot be further modified or adapted
for the current needs of fishery management. The BAYS SWG recommends the
development of a HMS landings data collection program that meets high
standards for accuracy and precision." While NMFS notes that CV's are
very high for most HMS estimates derived from these sources, there has
been little effort to alleviate this longstanding problem over the last
several years.

Section 3.8.5: Bycatch Mortality

This section presents very qualitative information on fishery-specific
bycatch mortality. In my view, this section is incomplete. Although NMFS
purports to have estimates of bycatch and bycatch disposition, these
data are not reported on a fishery-specific or species-specific basis. I
suggest that this section or section 3.4.6 be augmented to include these
data so that the reader has a quantitative sense of this issue. For
example, a table containing annual fishery-specific estimates of HMS
bycatch (e.g. blue shark) including catch disposition (released alive,
dead discards) would be very useful.

Bycatch mortality comprises two issues, direct mortality and
post-release mortality, which have been combined into a single section.
These two issues should be addressed separately to avoid confusion.
Estimates of direct mortality are derived from bycatch data sources, but
estimates of release mortality require catch disposition information
coupled with species and fishery-specific release mortality rates.
Although the latter is largely lacking for most HMS bycatch species, the
section on release mortality should consolidate what is known to date on
a fishery-specific basis. The new section would include the published
information on billfish release mortality currently referenced under
"Recreational Handgear Fishery". It should be noted that Kerstetter et
al. (2003) conducted similar research on longline-caught blue marlin.

Moreover, section 3.8.2 states that "post-release mortality of HMS is
accounted for in stock assessments to the extent that the data allow".
However, there is no indication in the current section that post-release
mortality rates are incorporated into stock assessments. The section
should include a table summarizing fishery and species-specific
estimates of post-release mortality rates and post-release bycatch
mortality (numbers of fish) used in stock assessment.

**Section 4.4.2/Appendix A: Time/Area Closures**

NMFS provides an extensive and comprehensive analysis of the
ecological/economic/social benefits and impacts of existing and proposed
time/area closures. In virtually all cases, the ecological benefits are
inversely related to the economic impacts and both are greatly
influenced by the potential redistribution of effort. Without
redistribution of effort, there are ecological benefits and discard
reductions across all species, but economic and social impacts. With
redistribution of effort, all of the time/area closures analyzed have
positive and negative feedbacks that render none of them fully
effective. Given the assumption of effort redistribution, it is
difficult to believe that NMFS will be able to implement a time/area
closure that does not have ecological impacts that counter positive
gains. Hence, for time/area closures to be effective, assumptions on
effort redistribution need to be rigorously tested. There are strong
indications that there was not a significant spatial redistribution of
effort resulting from the current time/area closures (Table 4.9).
Moreover, discard reductions realized by the current closures met or
exceeded those predicted without the redistribution of effort (Tables
4.7, 4.8). However, as stated in the draft FMP, reality likely lies
between no effort redistribution and complete redistribution.

In light of this conundrum, I concur with the preferred option (B5) to
establish criteria to consider when implementing new time/area closures
or making modifications to existing time/area closures. These criteria
must include objective quantitative thresholds for bycatch reduction
taking into account those factors listed under this alternative (page
4-34) as well as status of the stocks, assessment information, and stock
rebuilding schedules. In addition, as stated above, discard reduction
analyses should make every attempt to test hypotheses of effort
redistribution while taking into account the potential influence of
declining stocks.

Minor edit: There is an inconsistency between the percent reduction of
bluefin tuna discards reported in Table 4.6 and Table 4.11. For
alternatives B2(d), B2(e), and B2(a)/B2(b)(year round) the former lists
-3.3%, 5.7%, and -24.3% respectively; these are reflected in the text.
However, Table 4.11 reports different values of 38%, -40.7%, and -19.1%,
respectively. Two of these values counter the arguments presented in the
text.

**Chapter 10/Appendix B: Essential Fish Habitat**

In this chapter and the associated appendix (B), NMFS presents a
comprehensive five-year review of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for all
HMS. In addition, the chapter makes every effort to identify fishing and
non-fishing activities that may adversely affect EFH. EFH is defined as
"those habitats necessary to the species for spawning, breeding, or
growth to maturity".

Section 10.2.1: Descriptions of Datasets Used in the Review

In addition to the datasets used in the current analyses, two surveys
are conspicuously absent. The NEFSC Longline Shark Survey has been
conducted by the NMFS Apex Predators Investigation for no less than 30
years. These biological surveys targeted pelagic sharks, swordfish, and
tunas in the early years and large coastal sharks in recent years. Like
the Southeast Fishery Longline Shark Survey, biological and associated
environmental data are collected from all captures and most fishes are
tagged and released. This survey would contribute useful fisheries
independent data. Also, the now defunct CETAP (Cetacean and Turtle
Assessment Program) survey is another fisheries independent historical
source of distribution data on large pelagic fishes (see Kenney et al.,
1985). This is particularly important for shark species that are not
routinely taken in fisheries (e.g. basking shark).

Section 10.2.2: Methods Used to Map and Analyze EFH Data

While it is clear that size stratified spatial data from multiple
sources were plotted to identify areas of high concentration, it is
unclear how this grid will be used to designate EFH.

Section 10.3: Summary of Review and Findings

Reference to the McCandless et al. (2002) study should note that 15
separate research studies were conducted from
[Massachusetts]{.underline} to Texas, not New York to Texas.

As written, the text in this and the previous section implies that new
EFH has been designated based on recent information. However, it is
stated in the Introduction (Section 10.1) that EFH has not been modified
from the 1999 designations and that the current review is simply to
provide new EFH information and data collected since that time. Since
there is a great deal of discussion regarding new EFH information and
species-specific descriptions of EFH, clarification is warranted.

Section 10.3.2: Swordfish

Reference to juvenile swordfish in the vicinity Long Island Sound needs
to be substantiated. Perhaps this information refers to historical
reports of swordfish east of Long Island in the vicinity of Block Island
and Nomans Island south of Martha's Vineyard.

**Appendix B: Essential Fish Habitat**

Many of the species-specific descriptions in this appendix present life
history information that has been updated or replaced with new or more
applicable research findings. In the following sections, I've noted
recently published literature that may assist NMFS in identifying EFH
for several species of HMS.

B.1.4.1: Basking Shark

Distribution data for the basking shark is incomplete largely because
the species is not commonly taken by fisheries. EFH for the basking
shark should include waters east of the Great South Channel and the Gulf
of Maine to the Bay of Fundy. Pertinent information on life history and
distribution of the basking shark in the North Atlantic may be found in
Templeman (1963), Owen (1984), Kenney et al. (1985), Sims and Merrett
(1997), Sims and Quayle (1998), Sims (1999), Sims et al. (2000), Skomal
et al. (2004), and Wilson (2004).

B.1.4.2: Hammerhead Sharks

Scalloped Hammerhead

Additional life history information can be found in Lessa et al. (1998),
Hazin et al. (2001), and Bush and Holland (2002).

B.1.4.3: Mackerel Sharks

White Shark

In all likelihood, EFH of the white shark will need to be modified. The
review by Casey and Pratt (1985) is a comprehensive size-specific
examination of white shark distribution, life history, and nursery
habitat in the western North Atlantic. Preliminary estimates of age and
growth of this species were recently conducted by Natanson (2002).
Estrada et al. (in press) present new information on the trophic ecology
of this species in the western North Atlantic based on stable isotopes.

Nurse Shark

This species should not be listed under Mackerel Sharks (Section
B.1.4.3).

B.1.4.4: Requiem Sharks

Blacktip Shark

Additional information on blacktip shark nursery habitat can be found in
Heupel and Hueter (2002), Heupel and Simpfendorfer (2002), Keeney et al.
(2003), Heupel et al. (2004), Keeney et al. (2005), and Heupel and
Simpfendorfer (2005a; 2005b).

Bull Shark

Additional information on bull shark life history and nursery habitat
can be found in Tremain et al. (2004), Neer et al. (2005), and
Simpfendorfer et al. (2005).

Dusky Shark

Age and growth information can be found in Natanson et al. (1995).

Lemon Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Sundstrom et al.
(2001) and Barker et al. (2005).

Night Shark

Hazin et al. (2000) and Santana and Lessa (2004) provide additional
information on reproduction and age and growth, respectively.

Spinner Shark

Additional life history information on the spinner shark can be found in
Allen and Wintner (2002), Capape et al. (2003), Bethea et al. (2004),
Carlson and Baremore (2005), and Joung et al. (2005).

Tiger Shark

More recent age and growth information on the tiger shark can be found
in Natanson et al. (1999) and Wintner and Dudley (2000).

B.1.4.5: Sand Tiger Sharks

Sand tiger shark

Additional information on the sand tiger shark may be found in
Gelsleichter et al. (1999) and Lucifora et al. (2002).

B.1.4.6: Whale Sharks

Additional life history information can be found in Chang et al. (1997),
Colman (1997), and Wintner (2000).

B.1.4.8: Hammerhead Sharks

Bonnethead

Additional life history information can be found in Cortes et al.
(1996), Cortes and Parsons (1996), Cortes et al. (1996), Carlson and
Parsons (1997), Lessa and Almeida (1998), Marquez-Farias et al. (1998),
Carlson et al. (1999), and Lombardi-Carlson et al. (2003).

B.1.4.9: Requiem Sharks

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Cortes (1995),
Marquez-Farias and Castillo-Geniz (1998), Gelsleichter et al. (1999),
Carlson and Baremore (2003), Hoffmayer and Parsons (2003), Loefer and
Sedberry (2003), and Bethea et al. (2004).

Blacknose Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Carlson et al.
(1999), Hazin et al. (2002), and Driggers et al. (2004a; 2004b).

Finetooth Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Carlson et al.
(2003), Hoffmayer and Parsons (2003), and Bethea et al. (2004).

Smalltail Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Lessa and Santana
(1998) and Lessa et al. (1999b).

B.1.5.1: Cow Sharks

Sixgill Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Ebert (2002) and
McFarlane et al. (2002).

B.1.5.2: Mackerel Sharks

Porbeagle Shark

More recent life history information can be found in Francis and Stevens
(2000), Jensen et al. (2002), Joyce et al. (2002), Natanson et al.
(2002), Campana and Joyce (2004), and Francis and Duffy (2005).

Shortfin Mako Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Stillwell and Kohler
(1982), Pratt and Casey (1983), Heist et al. (1996), Mollet et al.
(2000), Campana et al. (2002), Estrada et al. (2003), Francis and Duffy
(2005), Loefer et al. (2005), and MacNeil et al. (2005).

B.1.5.3: Requiem Sharks

Blue Shark

Additional life history and ecological information can be found in
Kenney et al. (1985), Estrada et al. (2003), and Skomal and Natanson
(2003).

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Additional life history information can be found in Lessa et al.
(1999a), Lessa et al. (1999c), and Whitney et al. (2004).

B.1.5.4: Thresher Sharks

Bigeye Thresher

Additional life history information can be found in Chen et al. (1997),
Liu et al. (1998), and Weng and Block (2004).

Thresher Shark

New age and growth information can be found in Gervelis (2005).

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