| Keyword(s) |
Attracting techniques, Biology, Conservation, Fishing, Migrations, Purse seines, Trap fishing, Tuna fisheries, Article Geographic Terms: A, Atlantic |
| Abstract |
This paper discusses the hypothesis that small tunas and the various species found in association with drifting fads (such as "mahi-mahi", rainbow runner, wahoo, etc.) may be biologically trapped by such a strong association. Massive seeding of drifting artificial fads was observed worldwide during recent years. In this hypothesis, we suggest that fads may alter some biological characteristics of epipelagic populations associated with them: migration, growth, condition factors, predation and natural mortality. As fads are most often used in the equatorial currents, they tend to exhibit zonal drift. Therefore, the associated populations would be artificially transferred from one part of the ocean to another, when they would show different movement patterns in the absence of fads. Natural logs were probably beneficial in terms of ecology and evolution, because they tend to accumulate in convergence areas, most often considered as rich forage areas. Now, fads are seeded in offshore areas, which are not necessarily favourable for tuna feeding. This apparently strong association between fishes and drifting fads may then produce an unexpected biological impact on tuna populations and their associated fauna. The plan is to test this hypothesis in the Atlantic, developing an ad hoc research programme based on tagging, biological and physiological studies, in association to an analysis of high resolution fishery data before and after the development of the fad fishery.Original Abstract: Cet article discute l'hypothese selon laquelle les petits thons et les differentes especes associees a des DCP derivants (comme les coryphenes, elagatis, thazards, etc.) pourraient etre pris dans un piege biologique resultant de cette forte association. Le deploiement massif de DCP artificiels derivants a ete constate a l'echelle mondiale au cours des dernieres annees. Dans cette hypothese, ces DCP, colonises en permanence par de grandes fractions de populations epipelagiques, pourraient modifier les caracteristiques biologiques des especes concernees: leur migration, leur croissance, leurs facteurs de condition, la predation et la mortalite naturelle. Les DCP etant plus frequemment utilises dans les courants equatoriaux, ils tendent a deriver zonalement. Ainsi, les populations associees seraient artificiellement transferees d'un bord a l'autre de l'ocean, alors qu'elles manifesteraient d'autres types de deplacements en l'absence de DCP. Les debris naturels etaient probablement benefiques sur le plan de l'ecologie et de l'evolution car ils s'accumulent dans des zones de convergence le plus souvent considerees comme des zones riches en nourriture. Maintenant, les DCP sont mouilles au large, dans des zones qui peuvent ou non etre favorables a l'alimentation des thons. Cette association apparemment forte entre poissons et DCP derivants pourrait alors causer un impact biologique inattendu sur les populations pelagiques (thons et faune accompagnante). L'objectif est de tester cette hypothese dans l'Atlantique au moyen d'un programme de recherche s'appuyant sur du marquage et des etudes biologiques et physiologiques, parallelement a une analyse des donnees de peche (tailles et CPUE, avant et apres le deploiement des DCP derivants). |
