I Will Survive!: High Survivorship of Sandbar Sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) Following Catch and Release in a Rapidly Growing Land-Based Fishery in Massachusetts.

Kneebone, Jeff¹, Connor White², Caroline Collatos³, Nick Whitney^1, ,¹New England Aquarium, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, Boston, MA, ²Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA,³University of Massachusetts Boston, School for the Environment, Boston, MA

Directed land-based recreational catch and release fishing for sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) is a popular activity in Massachusetts (MA) during the summer months. Working with 21 volunteer recreational land-based shark fishermen of varying experience levels, we observed and documented the fishing gear, tackle, and techniques used to catch and release 67 sandbar sharks [47 female, 20 male; 113 – 187 cm fork length (Mean ± SD: 140 ± 17)] from locations on Cape Cod and Nantucket, MA. Post-release fate of each animal was monitored using a custom-designed tag float ‘package’, consisting of an acceleration data logger (ADL) and satellite and VHF transmitters, that was secured to the dorsal fin with a galvanic timed release. All 67 packages were recovered after detachment from the shark yielding monitoring periods of 0.15 – 9.98 (2.67 ± 2.08) days. Examination of the depth, tailbeat period (TBP), pitch, and roll time series data downloaded from the 65 ADLs that recorded data revealed all tagged sharks were alive at the time of detachment, yielding a survival rate of 100% (95% CI: 94.4 – 100%). Behavioral recovery was estimated to occur at 1.33 – 17.18 (6.36 ± 3.52) hours post-release based on trends in TBP for 54 sandbar sharks with at least 10 hours of post-release acceleration data. These results provide strong evidence that land-based catch-and-release fishing for sandbar sharks is a sustainable practice when local state regulations and best-practice guidelines are followed.