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Seasonal Catch-Rates SOLOMON ISLANDS Coverage of the Solomon Islands by the longline catch data is better than for Papua New Guinea. Catch-rates of blue marlin are relatively high throughout most of the island chain whenever data are available. The two catch data sets together suggest that August to October might be the quietest time of year. High catch-rates occur around Bougainville to the north in February - April and then appear to move southeast through the Solomon Islands until reaching the southeast corner in August. As mentioned above, these movements may be following those of yellowfin tuna schools. Catch-rates are highest off the northeast shores in May and June. Nothing is known of seasonal changes in the size of blue marlin in the Solomon Islands. Longline data clearly show that from June to August, yellowfin on the Solomon Sea side of the island chain are considerably larger than those on the northwest side, but comparable data are not available for marlin. Highest catch-rates of black marlin in the Solomon Islands occur from April to June, at the same time as for blue marlin. Although longline catch-rates of blacks in the Solomon Islands at this time are higher than elsewhere in the southwest Pacific, they are relatively low compared to those of blues at the same time or to concentrations of black marlin off northeast Australia from October to December. It is possible, however, that local inshore catch-rates around the Guadalcanal area in May may exceed those of blue marlin. No information is available on the size of black marlin in the Solomon islands. Although various data indicate large concentrations of sailfish occur around the islands, we have no information on their size or seasonality. Catches of larval sailfish suggest that spawning activity is high throughout the Solomon islands, perhaps higher than anywhere else in the southwest Pacific. Highest numbers have been caught in the central area, west and northwest of Guadalcanal. This is also the area of highest catch-rates by the longline fishery. web@aims.gov.au
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