Ecological risk assessment of artisanal capture methods on sharks fished at the entrance of the Gulf of California

Abstract

In Mexico sharks are an important fishery resource, however, their biological characteristics make them highly vulnerable to overfishing. In order to assess the vulnerability (v) and ecological risk (ER) of 20 species caught by the artisanal fishery at the entrance of the Gulf of California, a Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) was performed taking into consideration the main fishing capture systems used in this region (gillnets and longlines). The results showed that thirteen species (65%) have medium biological productivity and the rest of them (35%) have low. The catch susceptibility was low to the total species analyzed. The ER estimated was high for seven species and medium for 13 of them. Likewise, all species were located in the medium category of vulnerability. The productivity values obtained for the species are comparable to those reported in similar research and confirm the considerable sensitivity of sharks to overfishing. Moreover the low susceptibility of capture in all species is related to the limited autonomy of the artisanal boats and and their operation range. The PSA is a rapid method applicable to fisheries that have insufficient information for traditional fisheries assessments and its application in other elasmobranch fisheries can help to delineate and prioritize fisheries management policies and research.