A Review of Grouper Fisheries Management in the Southeastern and Caribbean U.S.: Challenges, Successes, and Future Directions

Abstract

Groupers (Epinephelidae) are ecologically important mesopredators that support valuable fisheries across the globe. Many groupers display slow growth and maturity, high longevity, ontogenetic habitat shifts, spawning-related migrations and aggregations, and protogynous hermaphroditism, which make them susceptible to overexploitation. In this review, I synthesize available information related to the management of grouper fisheries across the southeastern and Caribbean U.S. I highlight current management challenges, such as managing multispecies reef fish fisheries with growing recreational fishing effort. I discuss management interventions with limited success, such as establishing marine protected areas to increase the abundance of groupers that display protogynous hermaphroditism. I also highlight management successes, such as recovering historically depleted grouper stocks, and ecosystem-based considerations in grouper stock assessments. I discuss how climate change and anthropogenic effects are expected to affect groupers. Lastly, I provide examples of stakeholder involvement in monitoring and management efforts for grouper stocks. The purposes of this review are to demonstrate the complexities of managing grouper fisheries and provide a road map for future research and conservation efforts into these economically and ecologically relevant fishes within and beyond the region.