Reflections on Loggerheads & Longlining Tab B, No. 4(c)ii Reflections on Loggerheads & Longlining Trevor Kenchington Gadus Associates

Loggerheads & Longlining Recent trends in the loggerhead population Contribution of reef-fish longliners to those trends Policy goals, reference points, management targets and their absence

Loggerheads & Longlining Recent trends in the loggerhead population

Loggerheads & Longlining

Loggerheads & Longlining

Loggerheads & Longlining

Loggerheads & Longlining

Loggerheads & Longlining Nest Counts dropped about 45% Period of decline uncertain

Loggerheads & Longlining Nest Counts dropped about 45% Period of decline uncertain Probably reflects fewer adult females

Loggerheads & Longlining Nest Counts dropped about 45% Period of decline uncertain Probably reflects fewer adult females If so, at least partly a loss of adult females Temporary increase in mortality above levels in 1990s Decrease in recruitment to adult population may have contributed Approximately 25,000 fewer adult females

Loggerheads & Longlining Causes of the decline …

Loggerheads & Longlining Causes of the decline are unknown

Loggerheads & Longlining Causes of the decline are unknown Decline seen in adult females Does not necessarily indicate a decline in neritic juveniles

Loggerheads & Longlining Contribution of reef-fish longliners to trends in the loggerhead population

Loggerheads & Longlining Reef-fish longline fishery: Takes ≈ 350 loggerhead per year Kills ≈ 175 loggerhead per year Kills ≈ 30 adult loggerhead per year Sex ratio of takes and kills is unknown – could be 100% female

Loggerheads & Longlining To order of magnitude, annual deaths of adults due to R-F longlining are: 1% of all adult deaths 0.1% of adult population Over duration of decline in nesting, deaths of adults due to R-F longlining were: 0.1% to 1% of the 25,000 missing females, if deaths all female

Loggerheads & Longlining All deaths due to R-F longlining are: 0.001% of all loggerhead deaths <1% of anthropogenic deaths of neritic phase

Loggerheads & Longlining Policy goals, reference points, management targets and their absence

Loggerheads & Longlining Required percentage reduction in mortality …

Loggerheads & Longlining Required percentage reduction in mortality: What is the policy reference point ??