A COMPARISON OF CATCH RATE BETWEEN A TRADITIONAL, BASKET-STYLE HOOP NET AND A RIGID, CONICAL-STYLE HOOP NET USED IN THE CALIFORNIA RECREATIONAL LOBSTER FISHERY

摘要

We compared the relative catch efficiencies of two types of hoop net commonly used in the recreational California Spiny Lobster fishery. One net type is basket shaped but lies flat on the bottom during deployment and represents the traditional hoop net design. The other type is a recent development that maintains its rigid, conical shape during both deployment and recovery. Our study took place at Zuniga Jetty, a submerged rock jetty in San Diego, over 7 nights in August/September, 2008. A total of 96 nets (48 of each type) were deployed. Catches of the two net types differed with the rigid hoop nets catching 57% more lobster total than the traditional hoop nets (Rigid:Traditional = 259:165 lobsters caught). In addition to lobster, deployment of both styles of nets resulted in bycatch of various finfish and invertebrate species. This increased catch efficiency of a net type that is growing in popularity, coupled with increases in access to lobsters, interest in lobster fishing, and marketing of hoop nets, has the potential of enlarging recreational catch.