Overviews of Species-Specific Bycatch. Sea Turtles Incidental Catch of Sea Turtles and an Overview of U.S. Involvement (Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, NOAA Fisheries Service) The U.S. has two pelagic longline observer programs monitoring tuna and swordfish fisheries in the Pacific Ocean, one based in Hawaii and the other in California (CA). The Hawaii-based program began in 1994 and observer coverage averaged approximately 4% of fishing effort until 2000. In 2001, sea turtle conservation measures were implemented; therefore, a higher level of coverage was needed to adequately document effectiveness of those measures. The CA-based program has maintained nearly 12% coverage since its inception in 2001. Prior to the implementation of conservation measures, annual sea turtle catch in the Pacific was nearly 1,500 sea turtles per year (XxXxxxxxx 2000, NMFS 2004a). Catch has dropped significantly (100/year) since the measures were implemented (NMFS 2004a, NMFS 2004b). In the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. has observed the pelagic longline fishery since 1992 averaging 2.5% to 5% annual coverage (NMFS 2004c). Turtle catch estimates have ranged widely from year to year (between 800 and 3,500) with high sea turtle interaction rates in the Gulf of Mexico through the mid-Atlantic and Grand Banks (NMFS 2004c). Although most sea turtle species interact with U.S. pelagic longline fisheries (with the possible exception of Xxxx’x Xxxxxx turtles; Lepiochelys kempii), two species are of most concern: leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta). In the Pacific, leatherback turtles have likely declined over 95% since 1980 (Xxxxxxx et al. 2000) and are likely to become extirpated in parts of the Pacific. Loggerhead turtles have also declined in the Pacific (74% to 86% since 1980) at key nesting sites in Japan and Australia (Kamezaki et al. 2003, Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx 2003). In the Atlantic, leatherback turtles appear to be stable or increasing at certain key nesting beaches (e.g., St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands), but extirpated from others (e.g., St. Xxxx and St. Xxxxxx, U.S. Virgin Islands) (NMFS 2004c). Loggerhead turtles appear to be stable, but some subpopulations may still be vulnerable in the Atlantic (NMFS 2004c). Due to concern for these populations the U.S. has implemented several measures to reduce bycatch in domestic longline fisheries. The U.S. has implemented regulations to control effort, mostly in the swordfish fishery, such as prohibiting shallow sets in areas of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A tuna fis...
