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Omnidirectional sonar increases catch efficiency in a pelagic sportfishing tournament

Published Article

North Carolina, United States

Publication date: April 16, 2026

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Technological advances can increase fishing efficiency and risk overexploitation. Using data from a North Carolina sportfishing tournament, this study shows that vessels equipped with omnidirectional sonar caught substantially more pelagic fish, including billfishes and tuna, highlighting important considerations for sustainable fisheries management.

Subject Tags

  • Conservation Technology
  • Fisheries
  • Biodiversity

Abstract

Technological advances in fisheries often lead to increased catch efficiency, which has the potential to cause overexploitation. One popular and emerging technology in pelagic sportfishing is omnidirectional sonar, which can be used to identify and target individual fish. We analyzed catch data from two consecutive years of a sportfishing tournament in North Carolina, USA to investigate differences in catch success between vessels with omnidirectional sonar and those without it. In this tournament, vessels target six pelagic species, including three Istiophorid billfishes, dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus, wahoo Acanthocybium solandri, and yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares. A Bayesian generalized linear model of combined-billfish-species catch rates revealed that vessels with sonar caught 84% (95% credible interval: 42%–136%) more fish than vessels without sonar, when accounting for vessel-specific variation and interannual differences. A Fisher’s exact test revealed that the numerical catch of prize-winning (by weight) non-billfish species differed by sonar presence, with sonar-equipped vessels winning more than the expected number of prizes. The finding that boats with omnidirectional sonar have higher catch rates for these pelagic species has implications for fishery managers aiming to ensure the sustainability of pelagic stocks in the face of emerging technologies.

Citation

Runde, B. J., Rudershausen, P. J., & Buckel, J. A. (2026). Omnidirectional sonar increases catch efficiency in a pelagic sportfishing tournament. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 83(4), fsag054.

TNC Authors