During summer, fall and winter, octopus bycatch is at its lowest point. The survival rate ranged from 78% to 94%. However, the fall and winter season was significantly lower, likely because of less stress than lab conditions. Because octopus fishing is a popular hobby, this type of catch poses a threat to the octopus population. Here are some tips for catching an octopus.
Keeping your lure at the bottom of the ocean
To catch an octopus, keep your lure at the bottom of the ocean, just like you would a cuttlefish. An octopus is a giant creature that grows up to half a meter. The octopus has no internal or external skeleton, but is essentially soft, with no hard shell. Its hectocotyl is a modified arm that carries its reproductive organ. It can weigh eight to ten kilograms.
A brightly colored lure is best. This will attract the attention of the octopus, so it will grab onto it. Once it grabs the lure, the octopus will likely hold on to it and play around with it for a few feet. Remember that bright colors will attract octopus. They are most likely to grab your lure if it is brightly colored.
To make sure you’re getting the octopus you’re aiming for, keep your lure at the bottom of the ocean. Unlike other types of lures, octopuses are mostly active in shallow waters. This means that the best place to fish for an octopus is where you’ll find mussels and other prey.
Techniques for catching an octopus
Catching an octopus is not an easy task and you will need to know some techniques in order to be successful. The process can be time consuming and dangerous, and the location you choose should be considered as well. Some of these methods are described below. Read on to learn about the different techniques to catch an octopus. Here are some of the most common methods. A bait knife is useful for releasing the octopus.
Traditional methods for catching an octopus include the use of long cables and clay jugs. The octopus would often hide in a corner and hunt for its prey. Some Portuguese fishermen use net cages with the remains of fish to catch octopuses. They lift these cages daily and leave them in the same location where they catch their prey.
One of the most popular techniques involves using a pulpera, a white leaded plate with large hooks. The bait for octopus is usually sardine or crab. The pulpera is then dropped into the water and slowly collected with a rope. These octopuses are often caught near rocky areas, as their tentacles tend to stick to rocks. This makes them easier to remove than others.
Impact of octopus fishing on octopus population
Compared to other seafood, octopus fishing has a relatively low carbon footprint. Compared to trawling, which has high losses, the carbon footprint of common octopus caught using pots and traps is only 3.1 kg CO2 equivalent per kilo. While the latter may be more environmentally friendly than pots, the plastic discarded in the process of trapping raises additional environmental costs. Moreover, this method of fishing also contributes to plastic waste.
However, compared to pots, traps have higher environmental impacts. The impact on benthic ecosystems is low, and traps are relatively lightweight. The environmental impacts of octopus fishing are limited due to the low by-catch from these gears. Traps are also not a direct threat to the octopus population, since they do not disturb the ocean floor.
Fuel use data collected from Algarve fishermen show that octopus landings are not significantly lower than those of small-scale fisheries. However, the fuel consumption per kg of octopus from industrial fisheries was almost double the FUI in small-scale fisheries in 2018.