Rapid assessment of sea tuRtle & maRine mammal bycatch in the union of the comoRos 207

Corresponding Author: CNSP

E-mail: chris@c-3.org.uk
Western Indian Ocean J. Mar. Sci. Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 207216, 2008
2008 WIOMSA
Rapid Assessment of Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal
Bycatch in the Union of the Comoros
CNS Poonian
1,2
, MD Hauzer
2
, A Ben Allaoui
3
, TM Cox
4
, JE Moore
5
, AJ Read
5
, RL Lewison
6
, LB
Crowder
5
1
Community Centred Conservation (C3), 17 Northcliffe Drive, London, UK, N20 8JX;
2
C3-Comores, BP
8310, Moroni, Grande Comore, Union of the Comoros;
3
Direction Nationale des Ressources Halieutiques -
Ministre du Dveloppement Rural de la Pche, de lArtisanat et de lEnvironnement, Union des Comores;
4
Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia, USA;
5
Center for Marine Conservation, Duke University
Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA;
6
Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San
Diego, California, USA
Keywords: Bycatch, Artisanal fshing, Comoros, Turtle, Cetacean, Incidental capture
AbstractThe Union of the Comoros is host to internationally-signifcant populations of sea
turtles, dugongs and cetaceans, all of which are potentially threatened by incidental catch in
artisanal fshing gears. This work presented here was part of a larger initiative, known as Project
GloBAL (Global Bycatch Assessment of Long-lived species), to evaluate artisanal fshing effort
and bycatch of sea turtles and marine mammals in data-defcient areas. Questionnaire surveys were
conducted with 409 out of the estimated 8,500 artisanal fshers in the Comoros, on the islands of
Grande Comore (25/44 landing sites) and Mohli (5/13 landing sites). Sea turtles (mainly Chelonia
mydas) were reportedly captured in large numbers, although it was not always clear if captures
were accidental or deliberate. Lower rates of turtle capture were reported from Mohli, possibly
as a result of awareness-raising activities associated with Mohli Marine Park. Gillnets presented
the most serious bycatch-related threat to dugongs (Dugong dugons) and current mitigation efforts
such as closed areas to limit gillnet use are essential for the continued presence of this species
in the Comoros. Cetaceans were rarely captured and mortality was reportedly low; with spinner
dolphin (Stenella longirostris) the most common of several species recorded as bycatch.
INTRoDUCTIoN
Incidental catch in commercial fshing gears poses
a serious threat to many sea turtle and marine
mammal populations (Lewison et al., 2004), but
the impacts of bycatch in small-scale artisanal
fsheries is relatively unknown. The present study
was part of an international initiative, coordinated
by Project GloBAL (Global Bycatch Assessment
of Long-lived species), to develop and test a
rapid assessment protocol to quantify artisanal
fshing effort and bycatch of sea turtles and marine
mammals in data-defcient areas.
The Union of the Comoros is situated at
the northern end of the Mozambique Channel,
equidistant from continental Africa and Madagascar.
It comprises three volcanic islands: Grande Comore,
Anjouan and Mohli. The islands host a number
of ecologically important and vulnerable coastal
habitats including coral reefs, mangrove forests and
seagrass beds (Ahamada et al., 2004; Anasse et al.,
2003), which support high marine biodiversity.
Mohli hosts one of the most important green
turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations in the Indian
Ocean (with an estimated 5,000 nesting females)
and a smaller population (< 50 nesting females)
of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)
208 c.n.s. poonian Et. al.
(Ben Mohadji and Paris, 2000). These species
are Endangered (Seminoff, 2004) and Critically
Endangered (Mortimer and Donnelly, 2008),
respectively. Smaller numbers of green turtles
(<50 nesting females) also nest on Anjouan or
Grand Comore (Ben Mohadji and Paris, 2000;
Mortimer, 1993). The hunting and trade of marine
turtles is prohibited by Comorian law, but turtles
are still hunted for their meat (Hauzer et al., 2008).
A National Turtle Conservation Action Plan (Ben
Mohadji & Paris, 2000) has been completed but
not fully implemented apart from through a few
community-based projects (Ahamada, 2001; C3-
Comores, 2007). Although the National Turtle
Conservation Action Plan did not recognize bycatch
as a threat, accidental capture of immature turtles
in nets has been reported (Mortimer, 1993).
Direct hunting of dugongs (Dugong dugon)
in the Comoros was a problem in the past, but the
key contemporary threat is accidental capture in
gillnets (Alfthan & Davis 2006; Davis & Poonian
2007; Fatouma, 2004). Data from incidental
sightings indicate that dugongs are extremely
rare and restricted primarily to Mohli (Fatouma,
2004). Few scientifc studies of cetaceans have
been conducted in the Comoros, although thirteen
species have been reported in the area (Kiszka et
al., 2006).
MATERIALS AND METHoDS
Turtle and marine mammal bycatch in artisanal
fsheries in the Comoros was investigated using
structured interviews of fshers and analysis of
existing fshery data. A total of 25 out of 44 landing
sites were sampled on Grande Comore and 5 out
of 13 sites were sampled on Mohli (all outside
Mohli Marine Park) (Figure 1). Anjouan was
omitted from the sampling because of political
unrest. Sites were selected using stratifed sampling
with strata based on the number of boats at each
village (determined from UNEP, 2002) to achieve
a geographically representative sample from each
island and to include both large (>50 boats) and
small (<50 boats) fshing communities.
Fishers were questioned about their boat and
gear characteristics, fshing patterns and incidence
of bycatch (See Appendix 1 for questionnaires).
An identification guide (Richmond, 2002)
was shown to interviewees to assist in bycatch
species identifcation. Fishers were interviewed
individually, and, since landing sites were small,
often every fsher at a given site was interviewed.
At times, specifc fshers were selected for interview
(e.g. senior and/or experienced fshers). Between
June and August 2007, a total of 409 interviews
(200 short and 140 long interviews on Grande
Comore; 34 short and 35 long on Mohli) were
conducted out of the estimated 8,500 fshers in the
Comoros (Union des Comores, 2005).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIoN
Reported boat specifcations were similar on both
islands, although boats used on Mohli tended to
be larger and motorized boats had larger engines
compared to those on Grande Comore (Table 1).
It was noticeable that motorized boats were much
more frequent than in previous surveys reported
by Abdoulhalik, 1998: an increase from 25% to
40% and from 32% to 52% on Grande Comore
and Mohli, respectively. Hook and lines, targeting
pelagic fsh, were the most common fshing gear
used on both islands (Table 1). On Grande Comore,
line fshing was conducted on a larger scale, with
fshers using multiple (up to 180) hooks on each
line. The gear represents what is commonly referred
to as a longline. Gillnets targeting reef fsh were
more frequent on Mohli (Table 1). Fishers on
Grande Comore spent more time at sea than their
Mohlian counterparts, and most fshers were full-
time (Table 1). The Kashkazi season (November-
March) was regarded as the best season for fshing
by Grande Comorian fshers, but fshers on Mohli
had no clear preference between the Kashkazi and
Mbeni season (September-October) as shown in
Table 1.
Annual turtle captures, both accidental and
deliberate, were more frequently reported on
Grand Comore than on Mohli and green turtles
were the most commonly captured species: 76%
on Grande Comore and 89% on Mohli (Table 2).
It was not always clear during the interviews as to
whether turtles caught were captured accidentally
or intentionally. Accidental catches might come
about from attraction of turtles to the bait and
swallowing of the hook, through foul-hooking by
part of the turtle body or fippers, or entanglement
Rapid assessment of sea tuRtle & maRine mammal bycatch in the union of the comoRos 209
Fig. 1. Location of landing sites on Grande Comore and Mohli where the survey was conducted
in the fshing line. Mortality rates are probably
higher than those shown in Table 2 because turtle
meat is extremely popular in the Comoros (Ben
Mohadji & Paris, 2000; Mortimer, 1993), so much
of what was reported as bycatch may have been
caught intentionally. Also, fshers interpretation
of an accidental capture was often ambiguous
(e.g. they may have reported turtle capture to be
accidental if catching turtles was not the main aim
of the fshing trip). Awareness-raising activities on
Mohli may have helped reduce bycatch mortality
and intentional capture of sea turtles, as bycatch
rates were reportedly lower on that island than on
Grand Comore. Alternatively, increased awareness
210 c.n.s. poonian Et. al.
of relevant sanctions may have resulted in fshers
being less honest in the reporting of turtle bycatch.
A third possibility is that since turtles are also more
easily available on Mohli (they regularly nest on
the beaches), these results could merely refect a
lesser need to capture them from boats.
On Grande Comore, two out of the 10 gillnet
fshers interviewed reported captures of dugongs,
and another six captures were reported by line
fshers during their lifetimes. Six out of these eight
dugong captures were reported from the village of
Mitsamiouli, north-west Grande Comore, where
dugongs may be foraging on extensive seagrass
beds (Anasse et al., 2003). Three captures of
dugongs were reported by fshers on Mohli, two
of which were in gillnets, even though gillnets were
rarely used (Table 1). Gillnets are therefore a clearly
identifable threat to dugongs in the Comoros.
Cetacean captures were more frequently
reported on Grande Comore than on Mohli and
mortality for both islands was reported to be
fairly low (Table 2). Longlines were the primary
gear responsible for cetacean bycatch, although
seine nets were involved in one instance. Fishers
stated that they tended to release dolphins caught
in their gear, since they have no value as food;
however, some fshers killed dolphins to stop them
from depleting fsh stocks. Species reported as
bycatch included (from most to least common):
spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), Indian
Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus),
humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) and Rissos
dolphin (Grampus griseus). The common dolphin
(Delphinus delphis) was also identifed by fshers
but has not been recorded as present in Comorian
waters to date and was probably a misidentifcation
of the spinner dolphin (Kiszka, pers. comm.).
The lack of comprehensive fsheries data for the
Union of the Comoros and diffculties in gathering
precise empirical historical data from fshers make
it unrealistic to extrapolate these fgures to generate
national bycatch rates. An observer programme to
record rates of bycatch in real time would provide
such data. In the Comoros, where there is currently
no established national system in place to monitor
artisanal fsheries, setting up such an observer
programme would be costly and logistically
complicated. Thus the current priority should be
Table 2. Frequency of and mortality resulting from captures of turtles and cetaceans in artisanal fshing gear on
Grande Comore and Mohli
% fshers % turtle mortality Season during % fshers reporting % cetacean
reporting turtle for accidental which turtles are cetacean captures mortality for
captures during captures most commonly during their captures
the last year captured lifetime accidental
Grande Comore
(n=340) 31 63 Kashkazi (58%) 13 11
Mohli
(n=69) 8.7 12 Kashkazi (63%) 5.8 25
Table 1. Characteristics of the artisanal fsheries on Grande Comore and Mohli (all values are reported as
mean SE)
Length of Length of Engine size/ % using % using % fshing Preferred
prirogues/m motorized HP lines gillnets 26-30 days fshing season
boats/m month
-1

Grande Comore 3.6 0.8 5.3 1.3 15.0 2.0 97 2.9 78 Kashkazi (64%)
(n=340) (n=340) (n=140) (n=340) (n=340) (n=140) (n=140)
Mohli 3.9 1.7 5.9 0.8 21.5 11.5 91 4.4 29
(n=69) (n=69) (n=35) (n=69) (n=69) (n=35) Kashkazi (34%)
Mbeni (34%)
(n=35)
Rapid assessment of sea tuRtle & maRine mammal bycatch in the union of the comoRos 211
to raise awareness among fshers to reduce captures
and mortality of non-target species, particularly
turtles.
CoNCLUSIoNS
Capture of turtles by fshers, particularly on Grande
Comore, is of particular concern in the Comoros.
Turtle mortality could be reduced by encouraging
fshers to not hunt turtles or kill turtles that are
caught accidentally. Thus awareness-raising
and alternative income generation for fshers are
potential means to reduce these threats. Outreach
activities were initiated during 2008 by C3-
Comores, funded by State of the Worlds Sea Turtles
(SWOT) to publicize the need to conserve turtle
populations. Gillnets were identifed as the primary
bycatch-related threat to the dugong, however
their use in the Comoros appeared to be minimal
and they are already prohibited by Mohli Marine
Park and a number of village associations, although
these measures have encountered diffculties in
enforcement and sustainability (Hauzer et al.,
2008). Cetaceans were rarely captured, and
mortality was low.
Acknowledgements: Thanks are due to: Direction
Nationale des Ressources Halieutiques, Union of
the Comoros for vital assistance in the planning and
execution of this study; Universit des Comores
students for feldwork on Grande Comore; Hoani
Uni Pour la Protection de lEnvironnement
(HUPPE) for feldwork on Mohli: C3 staff and
interns and all the Comorian fshers who gave their
time and valuable information. We are grateful to
two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable
comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
Funding for this work was provided by the Gordon
and Betty Moore Foundation through Project
GloBAL.
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Rapid assessment of sea tuRtle & maRine mammal bycatch in the union of the comoRos 213
Appendix 1. Rapid assessment survey datasheets
Appendix 1 Rapid assessment survey datasheets

Rapid Assessment Protocol -- Long Form Type of Gear Date
To be completed Ior each Iisher interviewed.
If the fisher uses multiple gears, complete a separate form for each tvpe that is of interest to this studv
Country
Port or community name
Interviewer
Interviewee
How many boats (using this gear type) are actively used in the community?
How many total boats (all gear types combined) are actively used in the community?
Boat specifications (for this gear type)
Type Length
Motorized? (circle one) none inboard outboard HP oI motor
# Iishers per boat
Do you always land at this port? YES NO
II not, what percentage oI Iishing trips do you land here?
Which other ports do you visit?
Haul Information
Gear Characteristics (Iill out section Ior gear type listed at top oI Iorm)
Gillnet Trawl or towed nets
mesh size mesh size
total net length bag depth
net width/depth opening size
Iloating or anchored tow method and speed
Long lines Beach seine
hook size mesh size
number hooks per line total net length
line length net width/depth
Iloating or sinking lines distance Irom shore
Purse/surround seine Other
mesh size
total net length
net width/depth

Number oI Iishing trips per month (when using this gear type)
0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30
Duration oI trips
0-10 hours 10-24 hours 1-2 days 3-5 days ~5 days
Number oI times gear is set and retrieved (hauls) per trip
Where do you Iish? (Draw locations on map. Indicate areas you Iish most oIten, sometimes, rarely)
Are there areas where Iishing is not allowed? (Draw locations on map)
Average Distance Irom shore Ior hauls (Ior this gear type)
How does location and/or distance Irom shore change among seasons?
Time oI day oI sets Time oI day oI hauls
Duration oI trawls/sets (Ior this gear type)
Depth oI hauls (Ior this gear type)
Months Iished
In what season do you have the most Iishing eIIort?
Catch Information
Species Caught Average daily catch (in xx)
Do you ever catch sea turtles? YES NO Which species?
II so, on average how many in a month (Record separate answers Ior each species)?
0 1 1 - 5 6 - 10 ~10 Est. #
How many in the last year (Record separate answers Ior each species)?
0 1 1 - 5 6 - 10 ~10 Est. #
In what months or seasons do you catch sea turtles?
In what months do you most commonlv catch them?
In what general location do you catch them (including distance oIIshore)?
II you catch one, what do you do with it?
Do you ever catch dugongs? YES NO
II so, on average how many in a month?
0 1 1 - 5 ~5 Estimated number
How many in a year?
0 1 1 - 5 ~5 Estimated number
In what months or seasons do you most commonly catch dugongs?
In what general location do you catch them (including distance oIIshore)?
II you catch one, what do you do with it?
Do you ever catch dolphins or whales? YES NO Which species?
II so, on average how many in a month (Record separate answers Ior each species)?
0 1 1 - 5 6 - 10 ~10 Est. #
How many in the last year (Record separate answers Ior each species)?
0 1 1 - 5 6 - 10 ~10 Est. #
In what months or seasons do you catch whales or dolphins?
In what months do you most commonlv catch them?
In what general location do you catch them (including distance oIIshore)?
II you catch one, what do you do with it?
Additional Comments

FOR INTERVIEWER ONLY
Please answer the following questions to help us assess the protocol.
Please comment on challenges encountered conducting the survey and solutions to deal with those challenges
Questions Ior which it was diIIicult to obtain concrete answers
Do you have suggestions Ior wording changes on those questions?
Please comment on the general perception to the truthIulness oI answers. For example,
Were the Iishers open and honest or did they seem uncomIortable answering questions?
II they were uncomIortable, which speciIic questions?

214 c.n.s. poonian Et. al.

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