This document outlines a fisheries management plan for the Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) in Trinidad and Tobago. It provides information on the species, including that it is a migratory tuna found in coastal waters that feeds on smaller fish and invertebrates. It describes the Atlantic bonito fishery, which has declined in recent decades. Key threats include lack of data and misidentification. The management strategies proposed include improving legislation, data collection, research, and public education to better manage this important fishery.

1. Fisheries Management Plan for theFisheries Management Plan for the
Atlantic Bonito, Sarda sarda (Bloch,Atlantic Bonito, Sarda sarda (Bloch,
1793) in Trinidad & Tobago1793) in Trinidad & Tobago
Christopher C KallooChristopher C Kalloo

2. OverviewOverview
• Species Information
• Atlantic Bonito Fishery
• Management Strategies for Atlantic Bonito
in Trinidad & Tobago

3. Species InformationSpecies Information
• The Atlantic Bonito (S. sarda), belongs to the family Scombridae
(Tunas & Mackerels)
• Migratory species that spends most of its time within coastal
epipelagic, neritic waters
• A schooling species, sometimes observed forming schools with
other tuna species
• Found on both sides of the tropical and temperate Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean and Black Seas

4. Species InformationSpecies Information
• upper body being steely blue and silvery lower sides and abdomen
but its distinctive markings being 7 – 20 dark bluish bands running
obliquely downward and forward across the lateral line
1
Skipjack Vs. Bonito - Main Forum. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from
http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/318690-skipjack-vs-bonito/

5. Species InformationSpecies Information
• 2 Valeiras, J., & Abad, E.(2006).2.1.10.1 Description of Atlantic Bonito(BON) 1.Names 1. aClassification and taxonomy.
• 3Carpenter, K. E. (Ed.). (2002).Theliving marineresources of theWestern CentralAtlantic (Vol.3). Rome: FAO.
2 3

6. Species InformationSpecies Information
Feeding –
•Active predator feeding almost exclusively in the neritic zone
•Diurnal feeders
•Feed on several smaller schooling fish species depending on the
locality
•Also feed on small invertebrates such as cephalopods and shrimp
•Diet varies depending on life stage
•Adults have an insatiable appetite feeding mostly on smaller
clupeiforms.
•Cannibalistic traits in both juveniles and adults
•Predators include the Wahoo and the Dolphin fish

7. Species InformationSpecies Information
4. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_flyingfish#/media/File:Cheilopogon_melanurusPCCA20070623-3956B.jpg
5 (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_flyingfish#/media/File:Cheilopogon_melanurusPCCA20070623-3956B.jpg
4
Rounded sardinella
5
Atlantic flying fish

8. Species InformationSpecies Information
Migration -
•Triggered by spawning in mature adults
•Two migrations occurring, to and from spawning grounds in the open
ocean
•Varies depending on location
•Can travel long distances to open ocean
•Migration and spawning routes for the Western Atlantic is at the time
of reporting, unknown

9. Species InformationSpecies Information
Growth & Reproduction –
•Black Sea showed a growth rate for young S. sarda to be about 252mm in 90
days or 2.8cm/day
•In Turkish Black Sea were shown to reach first maturity at 42.5cm Fork Length
(FL) in females and 36.8cm FL for males
•Males grew slightly faster than females
•Reach a maximum age of 5 years
•Sexual maturity is mostly found in specimens at age 2
•Spawning months varies according to location. Est to be less than 2 months
long

10. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
• Perception of being of little economic importance
• Fisheries of various sizes throughout the range
• Very important to the Mediterranean and the Black Seas
• fishing methods : -
o tuna traps,
o gill nets,
o trammel nets,
o purse seines,
o beach seines,
o hook and hand lines
• Bonito catches globally have seen periods of high recorded catches
to then periods, where landings plummeted

11. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
• Highest ever recorded landings occurring in 2005, where 83,059t
• 76,224t were from the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.

12. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
Fishery for Trinidad & Tobago and the wider Western
Central Atlantic (WCA) -
•Steadily increased in the Western Central Atlantic from the 1950’s
reaching a maximum of 4,700 tonnes (t) in 1994.
•Decreased to around 1,900t in 2009; Mexico
•In the Caribbean, average of 285t caught between 1990 – 1999
•Assumed that more reported catches occur in Tobago than that of
Trinidad

13. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
Sea Around Us | Fisheries, Ecosystems and Biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.seaaroundus.org/data/#/spatial-catch?taxa=600115

14. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
Description of Local Fishery –
•Mostly targeted by artisanal multi-gear fleets from Tobago
•Pelagic longlines and baited trolls, locally called a-la-vive, using live
bait such as the Atlantic flying fish and Rounded Sardinella
•Peak fishing season historically between September to December;
catches moderately sustained until February ;low catches are observed
for the rest of the year
•2000 to 2014 - landing trends ↓↓ since early 2000’s.
o452t in 2002
othe lowest recorded landings for the period occurring in 2006 at 7t

15. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery

16. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
Threats to the Atlantic Bonito Fishery –
In 2015 the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas (ICCAT) identified threats:-
•Lack of information such as biological and fisheries data
•Impact of industrial fleets targeting larger pelagic species
•Misidentification of species
Issues are generally the same for T&T in addition to weak legislative
framework and institutional capacity of the sector.
Ecological Risk Analysis conducted by ICCAT indicated that S. sarda
was Moderately at risk and required priority assessment

17. Atlantic Bonito FisheryAtlantic Bonito Fishery
Common Misidentifications in T&T
Blackfin Tuna
Skipjack Tuna
Little Tunny
Carite

18. Management Strategies for AtlanticManagement Strategies for Atlantic
Bonito in Trinidad & TobagoBonito in Trinidad & Tobago
Improving existing Legislation –
•Archaic nature of the fisheries laws in T&T severely undermine the
objectives of effective fisheries management
•Only law in place restricts trawling in the Gulf of Paria, with only few
recent amendments since its inception such as the protection of sea
turtle species
•Open access with no limitations
•Commercially important species e.g Sarda sarda suggested to be
overexploited

19. Management Strategies for AtlanticManagement Strategies for Atlantic
Bonito in Trinidad & TobagoBonito in Trinidad & Tobago
Improved Data collection –
• Current population dynamics of the stock are unknown
•Basic population stock assessments parameters include: fish
abundance, recruitment, fishing mortality, natural mortality, fishing
effort and surplus production.
•Other biological and ecological parameters needed are migration
routes, oceanic and environmental conditions, predator-prey
relationships

20. Management Strategies for AtlanticManagement Strategies for Atlantic
Bonito in Trinidad & TobagoBonito in Trinidad & Tobago
Improved Research and Public Education-
•Only a few institutes carry out fisheries research in Trinidad & Tobago;
often underfunded and understaffed
•Prior to the establishment of CFRAMP data collection for large
pelagics in CARICOM, were primarily for short term special interest
research projects and were not continuous assessments
•Slow shift in policy makers to adopt recommendations made by
scientists for the protection of fisheries stocks

21. Thank youThank you
Questions?