Catch per Unit Effort of Decapod Species, C. pagurus and H. gammarus, from a Voluntary Marine Reserve

Abstract

C. pagurus and H. gammarus are deemed to be declining in abundance in the Berwickshire Marine Reserve from personal communications with local inshore fishers. Fisheries data in the form of catch per unit effort (CPUE) were collected for these two commercially important decapods. Other explanatory variables from fishing activity such as the creel and bait type used, the soak time of the fishing gear, and deployment depth were recorded to provide as much detail as possible to describe the effort applied to catch these decapod species. In this study, CPUE was higher for H. gammarus and C. pagurus outside the Berwickshire Marine Reserve. General additive models (GAMs) were used to describe the effects of the explanatory variables and showed that soak time (days) and depth (m) significantly affected CPUE for C. pagurus, not H. gammarus. Sea temperature (°C) showed a negative correlation with the CPUE of both H. gammarus and C. pagurus; however, a positive correlation was found with the number of C. pagurus caught. The data collected in this study provide a foundation in understanding the current abundance of C. pagurus and H. gammarus in a voluntary marine reserve on the east coast of Scotland, which can be used to inform future changes in fisheries management in Berwickshire.