241
8 Fishery and Biological Implications of Fishing Spawning Aggregations…
8.2.1 Subsistence and Traditional Fisheries
Native fi shers have a long history of exploiting aggregating species for subsistence
and cultural purposes. In the Pacifi c, subsistence use is best known from anecdotal
accounts and a growing number of published studies based on fi sher interviews
(e.g. Johannes 1981 ; Hamilton 2005a, b ; Sadovy 2007 ) . Indeed, an annual cycle of
seasonally plentiful resources typifi es fi sheries in many places with fi shing pressure
concentrated sequentially on different species for brief periods (Johannes 1981 ;
Hickey 2006 ) . In Niue and Fiji, Pacifi c, goatfi sh (Mullidae) are seasonally plentiful
with eggs and associated with specifi c community activities (Vunisea 2005 , Loraini
Sivo personal communication 2010). Accounts of subsistence use in the Caribbean
include the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus , in southwestern Puerto Rico,
which was once caught in massive numbers while aggregating and then salted to last
for many months thereafter (Sadovy 1993 ) .
Species that predictably migrate in large numbers close to shore en route to
spawning areas, such as mullet, rabbitfi sh and bonefi sh, are often important for
seasonal fi shery events in which whole communities take part. In Manus, Papua
New Guinea, the mullet Crenimugil crenilabris was regularly targeted for its roe
and fl esh. Communities gather during its pre-spawning migrations and catch large
numbers using gill and hand nets, even dynamite (Hamilton 2003, 2005a, b ) . In
Tarawa, Kiribati, bonefi sh have been heavily fi shed by gill nets on their spawning
runs and of several runs, all but one yielded smaller and fewer fi sh between 1977
and the late 1990s. These changes were attributed to fi shing and causeway construction that impeded coastal migrations (Johannes and Yeeting 2000 ) . Regulations
introduced in 1994 prohibited fi shing during the 3 days before and after the full
moon migration period and restricted fi shing methods; some recovery in numbers
was noted and there is now both recreational and subsistence use of the species
(Being Yeeting personal communication 2009).
Much subsistence fi shing of aggregations nowadays involves a commercial component and the line between the two activities is increasingly blurred. While subsistence fi shing is often poorly documented, and volumes, species and other purely
subsistence fi shing activities are rarely well understood, indications are that catches
can be substantial (Sect. 8.2.1 ). In one study in Fiji, for example, many major species
for both subsistence and commercial use are fi shed from aggregations. In Pohnpei,
Micronesia, subsistence fi shing of aggregations is largely ignored by local legislation, which focuses primarily on commercial fi shing. However, the removal of
reproductively active fi sh for subsistence may equal or even exceed that of commercial catches (Rhodes et al. 2005 ) . In Palau, subsistence fi shers have shifted to
more modern, typically less selective, fi shing gears and practices, with heavy illegal
use of SCUBA and spearing, including on aggregations. The many fast boats that
now exist in the country enable fi shing to occur throughout the Palauan archipelago,
and exploitation is shifting from a focus on subsistence and ‘custom’ (traditional
use) to commercial use, including for the tourism sector. While the fi shery is no longer regularly monitored, many aggregations of squaretail coralgrouper, P. areolatus,
8 Fishery and Biological Implications of Fishing Spawning Aggregations…
8.2.1 Subsistence and Traditional Fisheries
Native fi shers have a long history of exploiting aggregating species for subsistence
and cultural purposes. In the Pacifi c, subsistence use is best known from anecdotal
accounts and a growing number of published studies based on fi sher interviews
(e.g. Johannes 1981 ; Hamilton 2005a, b ; Sadovy 2007 ) . Indeed, an annual cycle of
seasonally plentiful resources typifi es fi sheries in many places with fi shing pressure
concentrated sequentially on different species for brief periods (Johannes 1981 ;
Hickey 2006 ) . In Niue and Fiji, Pacifi c, goatfi sh (Mullidae) are seasonally plentiful
with eggs and associated with specifi c community activities (Vunisea 2005 , Loraini
Sivo personal communication 2010). Accounts of subsistence use in the Caribbean
include the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus , in southwestern Puerto Rico,
which was once caught in massive numbers while aggregating and then salted to last
for many months thereafter (Sadovy 1993 ) .
Species that predictably migrate in large numbers close to shore en route to
spawning areas, such as mullet, rabbitfi sh and bonefi sh, are often important for
seasonal fi shery events in which whole communities take part. In Manus, Papua
New Guinea, the mullet Crenimugil crenilabris was regularly targeted for its roe
and fl esh. Communities gather during its pre-spawning migrations and catch large
numbers using gill and hand nets, even dynamite (Hamilton 2003, 2005a, b ) . In
Tarawa, Kiribati, bonefi sh have been heavily fi shed by gill nets on their spawning
runs and of several runs, all but one yielded smaller and fewer fi sh between 1977
and the late 1990s. These changes were attributed to fi shing and causeway construction that impeded coastal migrations (Johannes and Yeeting 2000 ) . Regulations
introduced in 1994 prohibited fi shing during the 3 days before and after the full
moon migration period and restricted fi shing methods; some recovery in numbers
was noted and there is now both recreational and subsistence use of the species
(Being Yeeting personal communication 2009).
Much subsistence fi shing of aggregations nowadays involves a commercial component and the line between the two activities is increasingly blurred. While subsistence fi shing is often poorly documented, and volumes, species and other purely
subsistence fi shing activities are rarely well understood, indications are that catches
can be substantial (Sect. 8.2.1 ). In one study in Fiji, for example, many major species
for both subsistence and commercial use are fi shed from aggregations. In Pohnpei,
Micronesia, subsistence fi shing of aggregations is largely ignored by local legislation, which focuses primarily on commercial fi shing. However, the removal of
reproductively active fi sh for subsistence may equal or even exceed that of commercial catches (Rhodes et al. 2005 ) . In Palau, subsistence fi shers have shifted to
more modern, typically less selective, fi shing gears and practices, with heavy illegal
use of SCUBA and spearing, including on aggregations. The many fast boats that
now exist in the country enable fi shing to occur throughout the Palauan archipelago,
and exploitation is shifting from a focus on subsistence and ‘custom’ (traditional
use) to commercial use, including for the tourism sector. While the fi shery is no longer regularly monitored, many aggregations of squaretail coralgrouper, P. areolatus,