EDFish

New NOAA policy an economic and conservation boost for Gulf fisheries

By Heather Paffe / Bio / Published: December 22, 2009

Red snapper on scale The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new catch share policy, which encourages the use of catch shares to manage fisheries, is exciting news for the Gulf of Mexico’s declining fisheries and struggling fishermen.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council deserves a pat on the back for already considering catch shares for some of its fisheries, and NOAA’s new policy can help jumpstart even more progress to end overfishing in all Gulf fisheries. Ending overfishing is good for Gulf economies and will give fishermen more time on the water.

The red snapper individual fishing quota (IFQ), one type of catch share, is wrapping up its third year, and we continue to see the tangible benefits of catch shares: commercial overfishing is ending, fishing businesses are more stable, and bycatch (accidentally-caught fish that must be thrown back in the water and often die) has been significantly reduced.

Other Gulf fisheries and sectors can benefit from catch shares too: Read More »

Posted in Gulf of Mexico / Tagged Catch Shares, Grouper, gulf council, Gulf of Mexico, IFQ, Individual Fishing Quota, Recreational, Red Snapper, red snapper IFQ, reef fish | Comments are closed

Scientists Say Gulf Red Snapper May Be Making a Comeback

By Pam Baker / Bio / Published: December 8, 2009

Red snapper (7)

Last week the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Science and Statistical Committee updated its regional red snapper stock assessment and found signs that the population, though not recovered, is finally beginning to make a comeback. There is work ahead and many unknowns remain, but this looks like great news for fishermen, local communities and the environment.

At its February meeting, the Council will likely increase the quantity of fish that fishermen are allowed to catch. Commercial fishermen working under a successful red snapper management plan called an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) will have a good chance to be rewarded with more fish next year (and beyond). This sector poses little risk because fishermen are living within their catch limits, they have reduced the number of fish that must be thrown overboard dying to comply with closed season and size limit regulations, and they follow strict monitoring and accountability rules. At the same time, IFQ management has helped fishermen improve and stabilize dockside prices, reduce the costs to harvest fish, and provide higher quality fish to consumers.

On the other hand, it is less certain how the recreational fishery will fare. This is because the sector’s management plan is not working and fails to help anglers abide by their scientifically-safe catch limit. Any potential change in the amount of fish a sector is allowed to bring to shore must account for such past and anticipated overharvests. Read More »

Posted in Gulf of Mexico / Tagged gulf council, Gulf of Mexico, Individual Fishing Quota, Red Snapper, stock assessment | Read 1 Response

EDF Staff Back From Cuba

By Dan Whittle / Bio / Published: November 6, 2009

For decades a political gulf has separated the United States and Cuba. Last week, scientists and conservationists from the US and Cuba met in Havana to discuss a gulf that brings the two countries together—the Gulf of Mexico. Early in the week, EDF staff met with colleagues from the US, Cuba and Mexico to develop a variety of cooperative projects to restore depleted shark populations, protect shallow and deepwater coral reefs, and manage vulnerable coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses.

Cuba_Ansud-Flickr

Photo by Tony Zelenoff

This tri-national meeting, organized by our colleagues at the Cuban environmental ministry and the US-based NGO 1Planet1Ocean, was the third in a series of meetings in which scientists from the three countries have exchanged science and ideas for restoring marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

Later in the week, EDF and Cuban experts hosted a workshop on how marine protected areas and innovative fisheries management tools, like catch shares, can be used together to restore important ocean fish populations. I greatly appreciate the warm welcome we have consistently received from our colleagues in Cuba. They deserve great credit for making this collaboration work. It is clear that greater cooperation on environmental protection in the Gulf of Mexico has real potential to bridge the political gulf that still exists between Cuba and the US.

Also posted in Cuba / Comments are closed

“Dock Talk” Shows that Books Can Only Take You So Far

By Sarah Hagedorn Bowman / Bio / Published: September 14, 2009

Snapper Off-load in Destin, FL At a recent meeting in Destin, FL, where members of our Gulf and South Atlantic teams met to discuss collaborative projects, I had the opportunity to see a commercial boat offloading its catch after a three day fishing trip. What an experience!

As multitudes of red snapper, vermilion snapper, and grey triggerfish were loaded off the boat and put on ice, I took the opportunity to meet with the Captain and crew and ask questions. I learned what species are caught together, and therefore which species probably share the same habitat.

The Captain told me about the places he goes fishing, what depths he fishes, what gear he uses, and how far out he goes. It was interesting to learn that many of the species he co-catches in the Gulf are same species that are caught together in the South Atlantic. It reaffirmed for me, from a shared habitat and ecosystem point of view, that collaboration between the South Atlantic and Gulf teams is beneficial and even critical.

The Captain explained that he is pleased with the recent red snapper catch share program because he doesn’t have to go as far to catch fish since the red snapper stock seems to have expanded. He also doesn’t have to throw nearly as many fish back overboard. His job is more profitable and takes less time. Who wouldn’t be happy with that?

Additionally, a National Marine Fisheries Service biologist was on hand taking otolith (ear bone) samples from fish to take back to the agency’s lab. This random sampling of otoliths was taken in order to determine the ages of the fish that were caught. Under a microscope, an otolith has rings on it, like a tree trunk, that can be counted to age the fish. She even showed me how to take an otolith sample!

Overall, I learned a valuable lesson. As a fisheries scientist, it is imperative to get out in the field and ask fishermen questions. As I think about how a catch share program would work for the snapper grouper fishery in the South Atlantic, it is important for me to understand the biological aspects of fish that are caught together and share the same habitat. These aspects must be factored into a successful catch share program.

Fishermen are good at what they do and have insightful knowledge into the oceans they depend upon to make a living. This type of information and insight can’t be learned in a book, sometimes you just have to get out on the docks.

Posted in Gulf of Mexico / Tagged dock talk, Red Snapper, red snapper IFQ, science, South Atlantic, Southeast | Comments are closed

Catch Shares Success as Big as Texas

By Heather Paffe / Bio / Published: September 10, 2009

red snapper in buckets When the largest paper in Texas (.42 million readers) puts catch shares on its front page, you know it’s worth talking about. This Saturday the Houston Chronicle wrote an article titled “Catch and Relief: A new share system for fishing red snapper in the Gulf appears to benefit anglers, as well as the species suffering from overfishing.”

The story features commercial fisherman Buddy Guindon, who also owns Katie’s Seafood in Galveston, TX. He owns quota in the Gulf of Mexico’s commercial red snapper individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, a type of catch share.

An interesting excerpt:

“At first, the concept of individual shares so worried Guindon that he sold one of his two seafood markets as a pre-emptive move. Two years later, Guindon said he is catch half the fish but making more money. The new system allows him to reduce expenses because his boats can take longer and more fuel-efficient trips while increasing revenue by fishing when the Gulf is safe and dockside prices are high.”

Check out the full story.

Posted in Gulf of Mexico / Tagged Gulf of Mexico, Individual Fishing Quota, Red Snapper, red snapper IFQ | Comments are closed

Killing Machine or Ecological Treasure?

By Heather Paffe / Bio / Published: September 1, 2009

Sometimes sharks are called “killing machines.” In reality, people have a much higher chance (over 600%) of being stuck by lightning than being attacked by a shark.

Movies like the famous 1975 thriller “Jaws” portray sharks as evil, almost supernatural, beasts that will do whatever they can to taste human flesh. But, perhaps we should look in our own mirrors to see the real threat. Sharks around the world are captured by the millions for their meat, skin, and oils. They are hunted for their fins, used in some countries to make a popular soup, while the rest of the body is thrown overboard to die. Sport fishermen host tournaments with top prize money for big sharks.

Certainly, shark fishing at a sustainable level is possible, and sharks are an important source of food and income for thousands of people. However, many are being caught faster than they can reproduce. Some sharks are even at-risk of being classified as “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Even if the sight of a shark gives you the “willies,” you should care about what happens when they are gone. The decline of sharks can cause what scientists call “cascading” impacts on oceans. When large sharks on the U.S. East Coast were depleted, there was a rise in the population of a type of ray called the “cownose” ray. What’s so bad about that? Well, the rays damage vital sea grass habitats that are important marine life nurseries. To make matters worse, the rays like to eat a lot of the same seafood that we enjoy, like scallops and clams.

Recently the Texas Observer published an article presenting an interesting account of the tragic circumstances facing sharks and one struggling Mexican community that relies on them. It tells us that not only do we have to do a good job in managing sharks within our own national waters, but that we need to find ways to work and cooperate with the other countries in the Gulf of Mexico region to conserve sharks – for the benefit of the oceans and coastal communities.

Posted in Gulf of Mexico / Tagged endangered species, Gulf of Mexico, shark | Read 2 Responses