Optimizing Conservation Benefits of Pelagic Marine Protected Areas: Assessing Alternative Timing of the Charleston Bump Time-Area Closure

Abstract

The three-month Charleston Bump time-area closure was implemented in 2001 with the primary goal of reducing bycatch of juvenile swordfish in the U.S. Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. Due to this closure and other management measures, the swordfish stock has since rebuilt, and the fishery is currently underutilized; swordfish landings are below the recommended quota. To meet consumer demand in the United States, swordfish are imported from foreign fleets, many of which are not held to the same bycatch reduction standards as U.S. fisheries. By analyzing the composition of pre and post-closure catch data, as well as predicting catch per unit effort during the closure, this project investigates potential temporal alternatives for the closure which would optimize conservation benefits; increasing domestic catch of swordfish while limiting interactions with protected and frequently discarded species of sharks, finfish, and sea turtles.