AFSC/REFM: Octopus gear and discard mortality studies in Alaska

NMFS Cooperative Research studies for octopus. Two small field studies to increase information for management of the octopus complex in the BSAI and GOA. The first project provided gear and fuel for commercial vessels to test fish longlined habitat pot gear for directed octopus fishing. Gear included the plywood box pots developed for NPRB project 906 and HPDE octopus pots purchased by one industry partner from overseas. One vessel deployed groundline from a longline reel and the other from a commercial crab block; in both cases, octopus habitat pots were added as clip-on gear to the longline. The longline vessel in the GOA caught octopus in both plywood and HDPE pots, with the catch rate varying by season. The pot vessel in the BSAI had no problems handling gear, but caught very little octopus. The second project was directed at estimating short-term delayed mortality of octopus caught in commercial crab pot gear. Octopus captured in cod pots were held in individual containers in running seawater for 48-60 hours, and examined for condition every 24 hours. None of the 36 octopus in the study showed mortality or decline in condition during the observed period. Two octopus held in containers on deck (in air) survived more than two hours. All but one of the octopus were in excellent condition at the usual point of discard.