GULF COAST SHARK CENSUS TOURNAMENT

GULF COAST SHARK CENSUS TOURNAMENT FINAL REPORT Submitted to: Columbus Zoological Park Association, Inc. 9990 Riverside Drive P.O. Box 400 Powell, Ohio 43065-0400 Submitted by: Center for Shark Research Mote Marine Labcratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 Robert E. Hueter, Ph.D. Director, MML Center for Shark Research November 21, 1995 MOTE TECHNICAL REPORT 450

1600 KEN THOMPSON PARKWAY SARASOTA, FLORIDA 34236 PHONE: (94 1) 388-4441 FAX: (941) 388-4312 INTERNET: rhueter@marinelab.sarasota.fl.u5 "A nonprofit organization dedicated to excellence in marine sciences" November 21, 1995 Animal Management, Health and Scientific Studies Committee Columbus Zoological Park Association, Inc. 9990 Riverside Drive P.O. Box 400 Powell, Ohio 43065-0400 Dear Committee Members: I am pleased to report that our 1995 conservation and research project entitled "Gulf Coast Shark Census Tournament," which was funded in part by your organization, was an overwhelming success. Enclosed is our final report on this project, including a summary of the objectives, activities and results. Also enclosed is a copy of the project booklet used by the project participants. Attached to this letter is a copy of the final financial report for this project, with the expenditures using the Columbus Zoo grant highlighted. The $1,000 provided by your organization was used to purchase special shark tags for the project, as called for in our agreement. All funds were expended and are listed under the category "Research supplies" in our financial report. As you can see, the total cost of this project was over $12,000; the $1,000 provided by the Zoo was critical to our fundraising efforts to continue. this important program. The Zoo was gratefully acknowledged in all press releases on this project. I want to thank you once again for your generous support of our efforts. As an independent, nonprofit research and education organization, Mote Marine Laboratory is not a part of any governmental or university body, and so must support all of its research and conservation activities with extramural support. Your help in this work is most appreciated. I hope that you continue to fmd our conservation-oriented activities worthy of support. To that end, I would be interested to learn how we can continue this relationship and perhaps expand the scope of work supported by your organization. Please let me know if I can provide any further information. Thank you again and I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Cordially, Gl~ ~t-t---q2 Robert E. Hueter, Ph.D. Senior Scientist & Director MML Center for Shark Research Encls. MICHAEL T. MARTIN CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD WILLIAM A. MOTE PRESIDENT KUMAR MAHADEVAN, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MOTE MARINE LABORA TORY'S ANNUAL GULF COAST SHARK CENSUS "The world's only 100% catch-and-release shark tournament for research... where only the information is landed!" Depletion of shark populations worldwide, and the resulting need for shark fishery management, has called for a change in angler ethics as well as a new public awareness of the resource value of sharks. Such changes can only come through effective education based on solid research. The annual Gulf Coast Shark Census, the world's only 100% catch-andrelease recreational shark tournament designed for research, has been an effective tool in bringing about these changes. The Gulf Coast Shark Census has fulfilled a dual role of education and research, at the same time allowing anglers to continue the enjoyment of their sport-but not at the expense of the resource. Creation of the tournament began in 1988, when a group of recreational shark fishermen from southwest Florida approached scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota with the desire to support shark research. The fishermen's initial idea was to stage a large "kill" tournament for sharks and donate the proceeds for shark research projects. It would have been inconsistent with the Laboratory's commitment to marine resource conservation to sanction this event on its behalf, but Mote shark biologists saw an opportunity to turn the idea around at a time when concern was building over depleted shark populations. Although some "kill" tournaments had yielded important samples for scientific research, the condoning of simply killing sharks for sport-where little or none of the shark is used for any purpose, but simply discarded after being entered in the competition-was a thing of the past. The time for the sportfishing community to take some responsibility in wise use of the shark resource had come. Working with a tournament committee consisting of sportfishermen, local businessmen, and conservationists, MML scientists designed an innovative approach to the problem. The tournament would be 100% catch-and-release, and the scientists would retain control over the tournament design and rules. Not a single shark would be needlessly killed; instead, all sharks would be identified and measured, tagged when possible, and released. In this way, the tournament would serve as a proof-of-concept program for catch-and-release fishing for sharks. The collected data would be used to track local shark populations, leading to the "census" concept. Tag returns would serve to gauge catch-and-release mortality as well as provide migratory and age/growth inforniation. The fishermen would compete for prizes, and the event would be used to publicize the state of the shark resource and the importance of management measures, to preserve the viability of both the resource and the fishery. The concept was a success from that first year, steadily building a consensus of support through the years. The educational opportunities for the tournament grew each year as national media provided broader coverage of the story. Furthermore, with the advent of federal and state shark management measures that included bag limits and closed seasons, the tournament emerged as a unique demonstration project to test the feasibility of catch-andrelease fishing for sharks. 2

PROJECT GOALS The annual Gulf Coast Shark Census has the following major goals: ~ Assess the feasibility of catch-and-release programs for U.S. shark recreational fisheries, and evaluate the effects of this practice on the survivorship of sharks targeted by recreational fishermen. ~ Transform the efforts of recreational fishermen from" catch-and-kill" to catch-and-release of sharks where necessary and feasible, as well as promote tagging programs for all fishes, to conform with emerging management practices and serve as a model for similar programs throughout the nation. ~ Harness the energy of the recreational fishing community to collect long-term scientific data on species/size distributions, migration and growth, and catch per unit effort for sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. ~ Reward fishermen for participating in conservation and research-oriented fishing practices, instead of simply disallowing them from utilizing the resource. ~ Encourage conservation and wise management of our common resources by educating fishermen, resource managers, and the public at large on the importance of sharks as a marine resource. PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Accomplishments of the Gulf Coast Shark Census over its seven consecutive years of operation include the following: ~ Participation of over 860 registered anglers in the tournament ~ Education of thousands of anglers and the general public in shark identification and biology ~ Scientific data collected on over 3,700 sharks, all released alive after capture ~ Over 420 sharks tagged before release by scientists aboard tournament boats ~ Successful testing of shark de hooking devices and scientific assessment of shark survival after hook-and-release ~ Discovery of important nursery areas for several shark species ~ Establishment of a long-term database to track shark populations for scientists and fishery managers ~ Tournament conservation message spread worldwide through international media 3

1995 GULF COAST SHARK CENSUS TOURNAMENT RESULTS SUMMARY ~ 93 registered anglers participated; 71 (76%) caught-and-released at least one shark (compared with 104/62/60% in 1994 and 180/115/63% in 1993) ~ Data collected on a total of 956 sharks = most ever in the 7-year history of the Gulf Coast Shark Census Tournament ~ Average of 13.4 sharks caught per successful angler (8.5 in 1994) ~ 2,840.5 total line-hours of fishing effort reported by 65 anglers = approx. 3 line-hours per shark caught-and-released by average successful angler (approx. 4.0 line-hrs per shark in 1994; approx. 5.0 I-hrs per shark in 1993) ~ Average estimated size of shark < 4 feet total length; as in past years, small sharks like blacknose and young blacktip pups continue to dominate the catches ~ TAGGING: In 1995, MML scientists tagged 210 of the small sharks caught on 5 tournament boats = most ever tagged in the 7-year history of the tournament ~ BY SPECIES, the number of sharks tagged in the 1995 tournament were as follows: blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus), 186; blacktip (C. limbatus), 14; bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo), 6; spinner (C. brevipinna), 2; bull (C. /eucas), 1; and Atlantic sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae), 1. ~ IN THE OVERALL MML SHARK RESEARCH PROGRAM, over 3,000 small sharks have been tagged, and approximately 15% of these have been tagged through the tournament since 1992. ~ RECAPTURES: Two recaptures of tagged sharks were rep'orted during the 1995 tournament: 1) Blacknose immature male tagged in Tampa Bay on June 28, 1993 during the 1993 tournament: recaptured during 1995 tournament two years and eight days later in almost exactly the same place where it had been tagged. It had grown approximately 8-1 2" in those two years. 2) Blacknose immature female tagged in Tampa Bay during the 1992 tournament (July 5, 1992): recaptured during 1995 tournament one week short of exactly three years at liberty, in which time it had grown exactly one foot in length. It was recaptured less than 3 miles from the tagging site. ~ These and other recaptures in the MML tagging program provide evidence that these sharks are returning to defined areas on an annual cycle. In the fall and winter, these sharks leave the area completely and are distributed offshore and to the south. But when they return in the spring and summer, they appear to navigate back to the same sites where they have been found in previous years. DATA FOLLOW ON THE LOCALITIES AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION ON SHARKS TAGGED DURING THE 1995 TOURNAMENT [REPRO. = stage of maturity where 1 = neonate, 1.5 = young-of-the-year, 2 = juvenile> 1 yr and 3 = adult; PC = precaudal length; FL = fork length; TL = total length; STL = stretch total length) 4

r- - - - - - - - t I CENSUS SAMPLING AREA 1- Cape Sable * CENSUS TAGGING LOCATIONS

MO DA COMMON NAME SEX REPRO. PC (em) FL (em) TL (em) STL (em) TAG # LOCATION 6 25 Blacknose 2 70 80 96 99 4853 C 6 25 Blacknose F 2 53 60 70 71 4860 C 6 25 Blacknose F 2 69 78 95 96 4861 C 6 25 Blacknose F 2 73 82 98 99 4857 C 6 25 Blacknose F 2 74 82 101 102 4855 C 6 25 Blacknose F 2 77 86 105 107 4851 C 6 25 Blaeknose F 2 80 88 105 107 4856 C 6 25 Blacknose M 2 77 85 104 105 4854 C 6 25 Blacknose M 2 78 89 102 103 4859 C 6 25 Blacknose F 1.5 38 41 50 51 4502 A 6 25 Blacknose F 1.5 38 42 52 54 4503 A 6 25 Blacknose M 1.5 38 42 52 53 4501 A 6 25 Blacknose M 3 120 4553 A 6 26 Blacknose F 1.5 37 42 50 52 4870 C 6 26 Blacknose F 1.5 39 43 53 56 4879 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 59 63 77 80 4868 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 59 65 79 81 4880 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 59 66 80 82 4864 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 63 69 84 86 4878 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 67 74 87 91 4862 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 74 81 97 99 4871 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 76 83 99 102 4865 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 78 86 102 105 4875 C 6 26 Blacknose M 73 80 95 97 4872 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 56 63 76 78 4874 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 58 64 79 81 4877 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 61 66 80 82 4876 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 69 76 90 94 4866 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 70 79 96 98 4867 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 72 78 94 97 4869 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 74 81 98 100 4873 C 6 26 Blacknose M 2 74 83 97 101 4863 C 6 26 Blacknose F 2 104 4559 B 6 26 Blacknose F 2 105 4557 B 6 26 Blacknose M 1.5 79 4555 B 6 26 Blacknose M 2 63 70 83 84 4652 B 6 27 Blacknose F 2 58 64 78 79 4885 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 60 66 80 81 4900 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 61 68 82 85 4890 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 65 72 85 89 4886 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 66 73 87 89 4884 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 74 82 99 100 4889 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 76 83 102 104 4895 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 78 82 102 105 4891 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 79 87 104 108 4896 C 6 27 Blacknose F 2 81 89 106 109 4888 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 70 4892 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 36 40 48 50 4881 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 58 64 78 79 4898 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 61 67 82 83 4893 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 66 73 78 90 4883 C 6 27 Blacknose M 2 69 76 92 93 4894 C 6 27 Blacknose M 3 81 89 103 108 4882 C 6 27 Blacknose M 3 81 90 105 109 4899 C 6 27 Blacknose M 3 82 89 105 109 4887 C 6 27 Blacknose M 3 88 90 97 106 4897 C 6 27 Blacknose 2 75 83 98 102 4220 A

MO DA COMMON NAME SEX REPRO. PC (em) FL (em) TL (em) STL (em) TAG # LOCATION 6 27 Blacknose 3 77 83 103 104 4225 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 61 69 84 85 4672 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 62 68 82 84 4665 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 63 70 85 87 4662 A 6 27 Blaeknose F 2 63 70 87 89 4660 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 64 71 86 88 4671 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 65 72 85 88 4666 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 70 77 92 95 4663 A 6 27 Blacknose F 2 72 81 98 99 4670 A 6 27 Blacknose F 3 87 93 112 115 4668 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 57 63 76 79 4664 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 66 72 87 89 4226 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 67 73 89 92 4224 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 73 80 97 99 4659 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 76 84 101 103 4667 A 6 27 Blacknose M 3 73 79 98 99 4661 A 6 27 Blacknose M 3 78 86 102 106 4222 A 6 27 Blacknose M 3 79 87 107 109 4669 A 6 27 Blacknose M 3 80 88 105 109 4218 A 6 27 Blacknose M 2 101 4562 B 6 27 Blacknose M 2 108 4565 B 6 28 Blacknose 77 4908 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 86 4916 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 90 4912 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 27 30 36 37 4920 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 38 42 52 53 4914 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 54 59 72 74 4913 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 59 65 77 80 4915 C 6 28 Blacknose F 2 65 72 76 79 4903 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 52 4919 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 56 4918 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 44 48 59 60 4917 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 61 67 82 83 4907 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 61 67 82 84 4909 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 62 69 83 84 4905 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 63 70 84 86 4911 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 65 72 87 89 4906 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 72 80 96 99 4901 C 6 28 Blacknose M 2 76 84 100 103 4904 C 6 28 Blacknose M 3 79 87 105 108 4910 C 6 28 Blacknose M 3 80 88 104 109 4902 C 6 28 Blacknose F 1.5 38 42 52 53 4608 A 6 28 Blacknose F 2 57 64 78 79 4605 A 6 28 Blacknose F 3 83 91 109 113 4607 A 6 28 Blacknose M 1.5 40 45 55 56 4602 A 6 28 Blacknose M 2 75 82 100 101 4603 A 6 28 Blacknose M 2 78 85 103 106 4606 A 6 28 Blacknose M 3 117 4601 A 6 28 Blacknose M 3 88 96 125 127 4604 A 6 29 Blacknose F 1.5 36 40 49 50 4933 C 6 29 Blacknose F 1.5 36 41 49 51 4931 C 6 29 Blacknose F 1.5 37 41 49 50 4928 C 6 29 Blacknose F 1.5 38 42 50 51 4923 C 6 29 Blacknose F 1.5 40 44 55 56 4934 C 6 29 Blacknose F 2 60 67 82 83 4922 C 6 29 Blacknose F 2 72 80 97 99 4926 C 6 29 Blacknose M 1.5 35 39 48 49 4927 C

MO DA COMMON NAME SEX REPRO. PC (em) FL (em) TL (em) STL (em) TAG # LOCATION 6 29 Blaeknose M 1.5 37 42 51 52 4925 C 6 29 Blaeknose M 2 53 58 70 73 4930 C 6 29 Blaeknose M 2 60 65 79 82 4929 C 6 29 Blaeknose M 2 61 68 79 84 4935 C 6 29 Blaeknose M 2 62 69 85 86 4921 C 6 29 Blaeknose M 2 75 82 99 101 4924 C 6 29 Blaeknose F 2 102 4573 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 2 102 4586 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 2 78 102 4577 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 2 79 103 4572 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 3 114 4574 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 3 120 4554 A 6 29 Blaeknose F 3 91 117 4575 A 6 29 Blaeknose M 3 99 4571 A 6 29 Blacknose M 3 104 4567 A 6 29 Blaeknose M 3 124 4570 A 6 30 Blacknose F 2 57 65 77 79 4580 C 6 30 Blacknose F 2 66 72 82 83 4582 C 6 30 Blacknose F 2 76 82 98 99 4583 C 6 30 Blacknose F 3 118 4584 C 6 30 Blacknose M 1.5 34 37 47 48 4579 C 6 30 Blacknose M 2 57 61 76 77 4578 C 6 30 Blacknose M 3 75 100 4581 C 6 30 Blacknose 1.5 39 43 52 53 4229 A 6 30 Blacknose F 1.5 39 43 52 54 4228 A 6 30 Blacknose F 2 64 71 85 88 4675 A 6 30 Blacknose F 2 80 88 105 110 4233 A 6 30 Blacknose F 3 84 92 107 114 4231 A 6 30 Blacknose F 3 84 93 112 115 4232 A 6 30 Blacknose M 2 40 44 53 55 4234 A 6 30 Blacknose M 3 78 84 103 105 4674 A 6 30 Blacknose M 3 78 86 102 103 4673 A 7 1 Blacknose F 2 56 62 73 77 4586 C 7 1 Blaeknose M 2 58 63 75 79 4587 C 7 1 Blaeknose M 2 76 84 100 104 4585 C 7 3 Blacknose F 1.5 36 40 48 51 4937 C 7 3 Blacknose F 1.5 39 43 53 54 4942 C 7 3 Blacknose F 1.5 39 43 53 54 4947 C 7 3 Blacknose F 1.5 41 45 52 53 4957 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 55 62 75 77 4972 C 7 3 Blaeknose F 2 60 65 80 82 4944 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 64 71 85 87 4939 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 66 72 88 90 4956 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 72 79 90 96 4960 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 73 81 95 99 4963 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 76 84 99 103 4945 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 76 85 100 104 4943 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 77 85 100 105 4938 C 7 3 Blaeknose F 2 79 86 103 107 4936 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 80 87 102 107 4965 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 81 89 106 110 4940 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 82 90 106 111 4946 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 82 90 107 110 4962 C 7 3 Blacknose F 2 83 92 108 111 4970 C 7 3 Blacknose F 3 85 94 115 117 4968 C 7 3 Blacknose M 1.5 36 40 49 50 4950 C 7 3 Blacknose M 1.5 37 40 49 51 4951 C

MO DA COMMON NAME SEX REPRO. PC (em) FL (em) TL (em) STL (em) TAG # LOCATION 7 3 Blacknose M 2 56 62 74 76 4969 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 59 65 79 82 4959 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 69 77 90 94 4966 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 73 80 97 99 4954 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 76 83 98 102 4941 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 76 84 101 104 4952 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 77 84 100 103 4955 C 7 3 Blacknose M 2 79 86 102 105 4964 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 77 84 102 104 4967 C 7 3 Blacknose M 3 78 85 100 104 4949 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 78 86 102 105 4953 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 80 88 103 107 4971 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 80 88 104 107 4948 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 81 88 101 107 4961 C 7 3 Bfacknose M 3 81 89 105 110 4958 C 6 26 Bfacktip F 1 60 4558 B 6 26 Bfacktip M 1 68 4556 B 6 26 Bfacktip F 1 51 57 69 70 4658 B 6 27 Blacktip F 2 79 87 104 109 4217 A 6 27 Bfackt ip M 2 79 87 106 109 4223 A 6 27 Bfacktip M 2 86 98 115 122 4227 A 6 27 Bfacktip F 1.5 88 4560 B 6 27 Bfacktip F 3 110 4566 B 6 27 Blacktip F 3 117 4561 B 6 27 Bfacktip M 2 118 4564 B 6 27 Bfacktip F 2 92 105 127 130 4702 B 6 27 Bfacktip M 2 86 92 112 117 4701 B 6 29 Bfacktip F 2 77 87 102 4576 A 6 30 Bfacktip M 2 85 94 113 119 4230 A 6 26 Bonnethead F 1.5 49 53 60 63 4654 B 6 26 Bonnethead F 3 68 77 96 97 4657 B 6 26 Bonnethead F 3 77 83 90 93 4651 B 6 26 Bonnethead M 3 63 70 85 87 4655 B 6 26 Bonnethead M 3 64 70 85 88 4656 B 6 26 Bonnethead M 3 66 71 89 90 4653 B 6 23 Buff M 2 94 120 4551 A 6 27 Sharpnose F 1.5 36 39 47 49 4219 A 6 25 Spinner M 1.5 49 54 64 65 4852 C 6 29 Spinner F 1.5 37 4 1 48 50 4932 C