Grand Banks Experiments/Northeast Distant Statistical Reporting Area

Fisheries using pelagic longlines incidentally catch sea turtles and they may represent a serious threat to depleted sea turtle populations. The work to develop gear modifications to substantially reduce sea turtle bycatches in longlines has begun and this report presents a brief overview of the results obtained so far, with special emphasis on the efficiency of the measures tested. Furthermore, areas where further research is needed are identified.

To test various fishing methods, such as bait and gear type, to determine which combinations worked best to minimize sea turtle encounters in pelagic longline fisheries.

Contact Data steward

Read and sign for NOAA Administrative Order 216-100

Read and sign System Access Application (see URLs)

Contact DBA Daniel Leon at:daniel.leon@noaa.gov for userid/password.

Access is restricted to personnel authorized in accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-100. A signed non-disclosure agreement must be on file for all authorized personnel.

Please cite data.

Please be cognizant of meta data

None

None

Experimental Data has 100% coverage

the observer colleting the data is the sole source of the information and it cannot be cross checked with alternate sources

The accuracy of analytical results to the ?true? values cannot be determined as the true values cannot be calculated without 100 % observer coverage and multiple observers on each vessel. Neither situation has ever occurred during collection of POPOL data.

Specific configurations of hooks were required.

Complete

There have been no quantitative studies to determine the precision of observations in POPOL. Since the ?instrument? used to quantify the variable is generally the human observer themselves, measures of precision would require the same observer to record a variable, of known property, multiple times under the exact same conditions. Such studies are not practical.

No information available

No information available

Since the ?instrument? used to quantify the variables is generally the human observer themselves, sensitivity largely relies on the ability of the individual observer to see small variations in conditions, morphology, lengths, etc. No analyses of this characteristic have been conducted for this data collection system specifically or for fisheries observation systems in general.

Not applicable. Variables collected in the POPOL system where specifically chosen such that they could be consistently and reliably determined by the human observer themselves.

Complete as it has 100% observer coverage