Fishery management strategies for Red Snapper in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic: A spatial population model to compare approaches

Abstract

ObjectiveRed Snapper Lutjanus campechanus is an iconic species in the southeast U.S. Atlantic Ocean, sought by both commercial and recreational fleets. Five stock assessments over the past quarter century have shown Red Snapper to be experiencing overfishing. Highly restricted landings since 2010 have been insufficient to end overfishing because fishing effort is not species specific but rather applies generally to a complex of reef‐associated species. Consequently, Red Snapper are discarded as bycatch when regulations prohibit their retention, and many of the discarded fish die from hook injury, barotrauma, or depredation.MethodsHere we developed a spatial population model of Red Snapper and the multispecies fishery that captures them in the southeast U.S. Atlantic. We then simulated and compared 25 different management measures that fall broadly into the categories of gear modifications, discard mortality mitigation, size limits, spatial approaches, or temporal approaches. Criteria for comparison address the management goals of decreasing dead discards, rebuilding the age structure, and increasing landings and spawning biomass.ResultWe found that the most effective measures reduced fishing effort, either temporally or spatially, and that benefits could largely be obtained by focusing on the recreational fleet. Discard mortality mitigation (e.g., through use of descender devices) displayed a wide range in effectiveness depending on plausible levels of mortality reduction, but it addressed all management goals and in practice could be paired with other measures. A measure with restricted recreational effort combined with full retention of all fish caught showed the greatest potential to simultaneously rebuild the stock, increase landings, and eliminate dead discards.ConclusionTo end overfishing of Red Snapper as required by law, resource managers should reconsider the policy of unrestricted effort of the private recreational fleet to this multispecies fishery. The benefits of restricted effort would include increased catch rates, larger landed fish, and fewer dead discards.