The role of targeted species in identification of technological interactions in mid-atlantic bight groundfish fisheries

Abstract

Data from commercial sea sampling programs are used to examine the relationship between target species sought and the species composition of resulting catches in the mixed species otter trawl fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Correlations between species abundances were higher when data were aggregated over an entire trip rather than when tows were examined singly. Based on discriminant function analysis of a subset of the data, tows from trips targeting cod and summer flounder were relatively easily identified by their characteristic species mix, while tows from trips targeting silver hake and squid were more prone to misclassification. These results indicate that trips target species mixes rather than single species with incidental by-catch; and that the predictability of the species composition of those mixes depends on the target.