Trends in the Gulf of Mexico Greater Amberjack Fishery through 1998: Commercial Landings, Recreational Catches, Observed Length Frequencies, Estimates of Landed and Discarded Catch at Age, and Selectivity at Age

摘要

The greater amberjack is widely known for its aggressive fighting behavior and important recreational fisheries are believed to have existed since the 1950's from New York to Texas. Studies documenting these fisheries were limited to areas off the U.S. Atlantic east coast and off of south Florida (Berry and Burch, 1978; Burch 1979). Detailed accounts of the recent Gulf of Mexico commercial and recreational greater amberjack fisheries were given by Parrack (1993a,b) McClellan and Cummings (1996), and Cummings and McClellan (1997, 1998). Those studies documented reported commercial landings, estimated recreational catches, observed catch per unit of effort, and observed trends in size for the commercial and recreational fisheries in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Information on the stock condition and preliminary information from Virtual Population Analysis results were reported in those reports. The management regulatory history of the greater amberjack has been complex. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council implemented the Reeffish Fishery Management Plan (Reeffish FMP) in 1981. The greater amberjack was included in the Reeffish FMP January 22, 1990. The Final Rule to Amendment No. 1 was published January 22, 1990 however, the sections related to minimum size limits and recreational per person daily bag limits for greater amberjack were implemented over the period January 22 to April 23 1990. These are: (1) 28 inch fork length (FL) size limit for all participants (February 21, 1990), (2) 28 inch FL size limit for recreational anglers and 36 inch FL size limit for commercial fishermen harvesting fish from a vessel holding a Gulf of Mexico Reeffish Vessel Permit (April 22 1990), and (3) three fish per person recreational daily bag limit (April 23, 1990). Amendment No. 12 to the Gulf of Mexico Reeffish FMP (implemented January 15, 1997) included a one fish per person recreational daily bag limit. The most recent federal regulatory management change (January 28, 1998) included the closure to commercial harvest by any angler during the months of March, April and May.