Passive fishing effort in the Suwannee River using a capture-mark-recapture framework.

Several studies have suggested that passive fishing techniques (i.e., bushhooks, trotlines, limblines, etc.) are a threat to species of aquatic wildlife. In fact, the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys spp) are especially vulnerable to these fishing practices, as turtles either ingest hooks or become entangled in lines. This is a conservation concern because small amounts of adult mortality can cause population declines in turtles, which rely on high survival rates of adults for population persistence. However, information on these fishing practices are extremely limited, and basic information on fishing effort (i.e., # of bush hooks fished per area) is currently unknown. Typically, accurate estimates of fishing effort are essential for conservation and management practices. Therefore, we are conducting bushhook surveys in four sites along the Suwannee River to estimate fishing effort.