Update of Standardised catch rates of loggerhead sea turtles, caretta caretta, caught by Uruguayan and Brazilian Longline Fleets (1998-2012)

This study presents an update of the standardized catch rate of the loggerhead sea turtles caught by the Uruguayan and Brazilian longline fleets between 1998 and 2012 based on information collected by the observer programs of both countries. Thirty three percent of the total sets had reported by-catch of loggerhead sea turtles. Thus, to deal with the excess of zeros, the CPUE was modeled by Generalized Linear Mixed Models using a Delta Lognormal approach. The variables used in the model took into account spatial and temporal variations as well as characteristics of the gear. The standardized and nominal loggerhead CPUE series showed similar trends as previous estimations although the time series were updated and some variations in the models were incorporated.