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MEPS 295:273-278 (2005)
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Abstract
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Food color and marine turtle feeding behavior: Can blue bait reduce turtle bycatch in commercial fisheries?
Yonat Swimmer1,*, Randall Arauz2, Ben Higgins3, Lianne McNaughton4, Marti McCracken1, Jorge Ballestero2, Richard Brill5
1National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
2PRETOMA & Sea Turtle Restoration Program, 1203-1100 Tibás, San José, Costa
Rica
3National Marine Fisheries Service, Galveston Sea Turtle Facility, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, Texas 77551, USA
4Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, Hawaii
96822, USA
5Virginia Institute of Marine Science & National Marine Fisheries Service, 1208 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, USA
*Email: yonat.swimmer@noaa.gov
ABSTRACT: We conducted laboratory and field experiments to investigate the behavioral responses of Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii and loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta to whole squid dyed different colors. Our ultimate goal was to
identify bait modifications that could reduce the interaction of turtles with longline fishing gear. In captivity, both turtle species clearly preferred untreated squid over squid that had been dyed dark blue. Loggerhead turtles also preferred untreated
squid over red-dyed squid, whereas Kemp’s ridley showed the opposite response. Field trials of blue-dyed bait were conducted on commercial fishing boats in the Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica, where the incidental capture of olive ridley turtles
Lepidochelys olivacea is high (long-term average, approximately 7 turtles per 1000 hooks). We found no differences in rates of turtle interactions (8.4 and 8.1 individuals per 1000 hooks) when using untreated versus blue-dyed baits. Although
effective in laboratory settings with captive turtles, dyeing bait does not appear to have potential as an effective mitigation measure to reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries.
KEY WORDS: Sea turtle fisheries interactions · Bait color · Sea turtle bycatch mitigation
Full text in pdf format
Published in MEPS Vol.
295
(2005) on June 23
Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599.
Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 2005
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