Celaya-Castillo, C., E.I., Romero-Berny, F., Galván-Magaña, J.M., López-Vila & W.A., Matamoros (2025). Characterization of surface and bottom longline artisanal shark fisheries in the Northern Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico . Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences. 41(1): 4. DOI: 10.1007/s41208-024-00761-8.
Cristina Celaya-Castillo 1, Emilio I. Romero-Berny 2, Felipe Galván-Magaña 3, Jesús M. López-Vila 2 y Wilfredo A. Matamoros 1
The lack of reliable fishing data poses a challenge for sustainable shark management in Mexico. Fishery-dependent landings surveys of longline catches were conducted in Paredón (state of Chiapas), the primary shark fishing locality in the northern Gulf of Tehuantepec between March 2021 and April 2022. The local fishing fleet consists of 30 fiberglass boats or pangas (9–12 m. of length and 75hp outboard motor) that mainly use surface longlines and occasionally bottom longlines, and seven pangas that exclusively use bottom longlines. We recorded a total of 576 sharks representing 12 species for both gears combined. Ninety-one percent of the sharks captured with surface longlines were silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis, n = 439), with a size range from 90 to 260 cm, 46.50% were males and 53.50% females. In general, shark sizes ranged from 53 to 278 cm stretched total length (STL) on surface longlines and 122 to 375 cm-STL on bottom longlines. Females constituted 53% of the total catch, with maturity stages for both sexes varying by gear type: 73% of sharks captured on surface longlines were immature and 89% of sharks captured on bottom longlines were mature. The characterization discussed in this manuscript contributes to the understanding shark catches in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, laying the foundation for potential regulatory and conservation measures in the Mexican Pacific.
Palabras clave: Chondrichthyes; Landings; Chiapas; Southern Mexico; Elasmobranchs
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