Indicators of overfishing of snapper (Lutjanidae) populations on the southwest shelf of Cuba

Abstract

Spawning aggregations are critical for the resilience of some coral reef fish populations and for the sustainability of many coastal fisheries. However, overexploitation of these aggregations is leading to a rapid decline of fish stocks. The fish aggregation site (FAS) associated with the San Felipe Keys National Park (in southwestern Cuba) is of great importance for the conservation of northern Caribbean snapper. An assessment of the pressure which fishing is placing on these populations, however, has not to date been conducted. To characterize the fishing use of San Felipe Keys FAS, data pertaining to five snapper species were evaluated in 2014. Samples consisted of 3879 individuals collected from 80 catch samples from commercial and sport fishing modalities. Catch assessment was performed using indicators based on length-frequency data (minimum legal size, length at first maturity, optimal length and average size of catch) and on fisheries effort data (seasonal and spatial yield by different modalities). To identify whether individuals were caught before or after spawning, the stage of gonads was analyzed. Individuals with sizes below the maturity length and with mature gonads before spawning prevailed in the five species, with Lutjanus analis and L. cyanopterus being the most affected. The government commercial fishing fleet had the highest volume of catches and the largest impact. The indicators suggest that the current use of this FAS may impede the effective preservation of reproductive capacity of the population. Therefore, management and conservation initiatives of this FAS are urgently needed to maintain the sustainability and resilience of the coralline social-ecological system.