The cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) is a common Cnidarian species commercially harvested in state and federal waters adjacent to Georgia. In 2013, the cannonball jellyfish fishery transitioned from an experimental fishery to an official state fishery governed by the rules and regulations established in Georgia law. Requirements included the mandated use of a turtle excluder device (TED) approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for use in state waters. Several fishers indicated that the approved TEDs negatively impacted catches due to larger jellyfish being unable to pass through the TED bar spacing. The negative impacts on catches caused by the TED have encouraged many fishers to abandon their fishing efforts in state waters. In an effort to address this issue, we developed and evaluated a new TED design to potentially increase cannonball jellyfish retention in nets while still promoting sea turtle exclusion. We first conducted 35 paired tows to compare catch between a net with no TED (naked net) and a net with the NMFS-certified TED with four-inch vertical bar spacing. We then conducted 21 paired tows with a net with no TED and a net equipped with an experimental 8x8 inch gridded TED design.
Results/Conclusions
There was a significant difference in catch between nets with the NMFS-certified TED and naked nets with the net with the TED catching 23.6% less per haul. Additionally, a bell-width analysis of 2102 jellyfish found mean bell size to be significantly larger in the naked net with a greater difference in catch at the larger size classes. There was no significant difference in catch size in the paired trawls with the experimental TED and the naked net. Size analysis of 1057 jellyfish indicated no significant difference overall in relaxed bell width or between specific size classes. The TED examinations under taken by this study show the inefficiency of the certified TED in the cannonball jellyfish trawl fishery and the need for developing and certifying new designs for use in both state and federal waters. Given the results of this study, along with the state regulations that already reduce turtle interactions, it is hoped NMFS will consider this new TED design for use in the cannonball jellyfish fishery.