March 5, 2013 — A research scientist at Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in Miami is in the homestretch of a pilot study showing that substituting two types of fishing gear for pelagic long-lines might eliminate the bycatch of severely overfished bluefin tuna in their northern Gulf of Mexico spawning grounds.
The findings could have implications for fishermen who catch tuna in the Gulf of Maine. The University of Massachusetts’ Large Pelagics Research Center, located in Hodgkins Cove and headed by Gloucester resident Molly Lutcavage, is tracking bluefin tuna migrations between the two gulfs.
The preliminary findings of David Kerstetter and several graduate students are seen as important because bluefins are among the world’s priciest and most exploited fish.
The northern Gulf of Mexico is one of a few spots where bluefins are known to reproduce, and many are caught accidentally by commercial long-line fishermen targeting yellowfin tuna and swordfish. To make matters worse, the 2010 BP oil spill might have taken out large numbers of bluefin larvae because it occurred in the middle of the spawning season, scientists have said.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Times