248 



Fishery Bulletin 97(2), 1999 



100 



eo 



Billfish Februaiy 



70 60 50 40 



100 

 60 



BiUfish March 



70 60 50 



60 50 40 30 20 10 



100 30 

 60 



70 60 50 -10 30 20 10 



Billftsh May 



70 60 50 40 



Billfish June 



70 60 50 40 



30 20 10 



70 60 50 40 30 20 10 



30 20 10 



70 60 50 40 30 20 10 



Figure 3 



Distribution of 1986-91 U.S. pelagic-longline fishing effort by month and area fished (stippled or diagonally shaded cells of 5 cell 

 or smaller. Month-area cells where billfish bycatch percentages were greater than the SC? threshold levels for 1 (filled), 2 

 (horizontal shading) and 5^" (diagonal shading) cells. Elimination of the effort in these cells would have reduced the combined 

 billfish bycatch by 50'J and reduced the target species catch by 13.9. 17.6. and 19.2'7f respectively. 



