GULF OF MEXICO FISHERIES BYCATCH OVERVIEW
NOTE: This table is a DRAFT under development and, once finalized, will undergo periodic updates as new bycatch information becomes available.
NA = Not applicable; the fishery is either species-specific or produces very small amounts of bycatch.
*Logbook data reflect discards only.
**Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Development Foundation. 1997. Bycatch and its reduction in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic shrimp fishery. Final report to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tampa, FL, 27pp.
***NMFS. 1997. Bycatch in the southeast shrimp trawl fishery. A data summary report. NMFS, Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Miami, FL, 197pp.
****NMFS SEFSC Logbook Program. J. Poffenberger, personal communication. The stratified sampling used to select the boats for the approximate 20% sample included "gear" but did not include "fishery" as a stratification.
*****Matthews, T.R., and S. Donahue. 1996. By-catch in Florida's Spiny Lobster Trap Fishery and the Impact of Wire Traps. Report submitted to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 15pp.
******The Gulf groundfish trawl fishery is exempt from minimum size limits, bag limits, etc. for Gulf reef fish as this particular fishery utilizes practically all bycatch (excluding catfish and sharks) for processing.
*******NMFS. 1998. Report to Congress. Southeastern United States Shrimp Trawl Bycatch Program. Nance, J.M. (ed.), 154pp.
|
Year |
Fishery/Fishery Management Plan |
Gear |
Bycatch species |
Discards/ mortality* |
Bycatch data |
Coverage |
Gear requirements (date) |
Other requirements (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2001 |
Coral (commercial)/FMP for Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico |
Hand harvest |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Prohibition of stony corals and sea fans (1984), prohibition of wild live rock harvest (1994) |
|
2001 |
Coral (recreational)/FMP for Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico |
Hand harvest |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Prohibition of stony corals and sea fans (1984), prohibition of wild live rock harvest (1994) |
|
2001 |
FMP for the Red Drum Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
No harvest or possession in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone |
|
2001 |
Large pelagic longline/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources |
Longline |
Tunas, sharks, billfishes, finfish, marine mammals, and sea turtles |
No estimate |
Observer, logbook |
4% (percent of sets) |
Length of gangion must be 10% longer than floatline (2002) |
None |
|
2001 |
King, Spanish mackerel/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources |
Gillnet |
26 different species of fish reported discarded |
34.2% of discards reported dead or mostly dead; 59.7% reported alive or mostly alive; remaining 6% undetermined or condition not reported (08/01-07/02) |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
Minimum mesh size (1983) |
Minimum mesh size (1983), prohibition of drift gillnets (1990, 1996) |
|
2001 |
Pelagic hook and line/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources |
Bandit, rod & reel, handline |
NA |
NA |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
None |
None |
|
2001 |
Pelagic purse seine/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources |
Purse seine |
NA |
NA |
None |
None |
None |
None |
|
2001 |
Coastal Migratory Pelagics (recreational)/FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources |
Bandit, handline, rod & reel, spear |
NA |
NA |
Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey, Saltonstall-Kennedy grant data |
Not available |
None |
None |
|
2001 |
Snapper-grouper reef fish longline, hook and line/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Longline, handline, bandit, rod & reel, buoy |
Finfish, sharks |
No overall estimate |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
None |
Prohibition of bottom longline use in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984), longline/buoy gear restricted area (1990) |
|
2001 |
Snapper-grouper reef fish longline, hook and line/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Bottom longline |
Finfish, sharks |
Of 89 species caught by bottom longlines (5,224 specimens), 56% were retained, 28% released alive, 5% released dead, 10% retained as bait, and 2% unknown fate.******* |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
None |
Prohibition of bottom longline use in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984), longline/buoy gear restricted area (1990) |
|
2001 |
Snapper-grouper reef fish longline, hook and line/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Bandit |
Finfish, sharks |
Of 45 specimens caught by bandit gear (2,806 specimens), 55% were retained, 37% released alive, 2% released dead, 7% retained as bait, and 1% unknown fate.******* |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
None |
Prohibition of bottom longline use in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984), longline/buoy gear restricted area (1990) |
|
2001 |
Reef fish pot and trap fishery/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Pot, trap |
Finfish, invertebrates |
Of 64 species caught in fish traps, approximately 58% of catch released alive, 44% retained, 2% released dead, 7% retained for bait, and less than 1% unknown fate |
Logbook data/supplemental discard form (08/01)**** |
~20% stratified sample |
Pot escape panel required (1983) |
Prohibition of traps within reef fish stressed area (1984), trap phase-out (1997) |
|
2001 |
Reef fish other/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Spear, powerhead, cast net, trawl****** |
NA for spear and powerhead; trawl bycatch includes finfish, invertebrates, coral, and other benthic species |
No estimate |
None |
None |
None |
Prohibition of trawl in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984) |
|
2001 |
Reef fish (recreational)/FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico |
Spear, powerhead, bandit, handline, rod & reel, cast net |
Finfish |
No estimate |
Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey, Saltonstall-Kennedy grant data |
Not available |
None |
None |
|
2001 |
Shrimp/FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico |
Trawl, butterfly net, skimmer, cast net |
Finfish (including juveniles of managed species), invertebrates, sea turtles, coral, and other benthic species |
462,000 (1996) (5.25:1 bycatch:shrimp ratio [1996])**; NOTE: amounts and ratios have changed since due to BRDs, but analyses of new data have not been completed |
Commercial landings data, observer, port agent interviews, independent research efforts |
100% for commercial landings data, >1% observer coverage |
Turtle excluder device regulations (1989-1994), bycatch reduction device regulations (1997) |
Tortugas sanctuary (1981), Texas closure (1981), roller trawl prohibition in reef fish stressed area (1984), trawl prohibition in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984) |
|
2001 |
Shrimp (recreational)/FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico |
Trawl |
Finfish (including juveniles of managed species), invertebrates, sea turtles, coral, and other benthic species |
No estimate |
None |
None |
Turtle excluder device regulations (1989-1994), bycatch reduction device regulations (1997) |
Tortugas sanctuary (1981), Texas closure (1981), roller trawl prohibition in reef fish stressed area (1984), trawl prohibition in Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (1984) |
|
2001 |
Spiny lobster/FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic |
Trap, pot, dip net, bully net, hoop net, trawl, snare, hand harvest |
Finfish (including goliath and Nassau grouper*****), sea turtles*****, seabirds*****, invertebrates |
4.5% of wood traps and 11.0% of wire traps contain finfish bycatch***** |
None |
None |
Degradable trap escape panel required (1982) |
None |
|
2001 |
Spiny lobster (recreational)/FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic |
Dip net, bandit, pot, trap, snare, hand harvest |
NA for dip net, bully net, snare, and hand harvest; finfish and invertebrates for trap and pot use |
No estimate |
None |
None |
None |
None |
|
2001 |
Stone crab/FMP for the Stone Crab Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico |
Trap, pot |
Finfish and invertebrates |
No estimate |
None |
None |
Degradable trap escape panel required (1979) |
None |
|
2001 |
Stone crab (recreational)/FMP for the Stone Crab Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico |
Trap, pot, hand harvest |
NA for hand harvest; finfish and invertebrates for trap and pot use |
No estimate |
None |
None |
None |
None |