Survey Methods for Estimating Red Snapper Landings in a High‐Effort Recreational Fishery Managed with a Small Annual Catch Limit

Abstract

AbstractBefore the Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus stock in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic was formally assessed, recreational harvest was permitted year‐round. However, in 2010, all sectors of the fishery were closed to immediately end overfishing. In recent years, the recreational fishery for Red Snapper in the region has been managed with a substantially reduced catch limit and an annual harvest season ranging from 0 to 8 d. To obtain a precise estimate of recreational harvest over this reduced time scale, a new creel survey method was developed in Florida, where the majority of Red Snapper landings in the region occur. The fishery was intensely monitored during the short sample window when the harvest season was open, and the survey design took advantage of choke points at ocean inlets that restrict recreational boat access to offshore fishing grounds. Landings estimates from this specialized survey were more precise than the general survey that has historically been used in the region to monitor saltwater recreational fisheries over larger spatial and temporal scales. Fishing effort was highly concentrated, and the fishery was capable of reaching the small annual catch limit over the short time periods allowed. Fishing effort and landings were highest between Ponce Inlet and Cape Canaveral, and the majority of Red Snapper were harvested from shallow depths (<29 m). Fish from shallow depths were approximately equally distributed among younger (1–5 years) and older age‐classes. However, as fishing moved into deeper waters (≥29 m), a greater proportion of fish were older than 5 years. Precise landings estimates from the survey enabled managers to monitor the recreational fishery against a small annual catch limit, and the survey also revealed spatial patterns of effort and CPUE in the region's private boat segment of the recreational fishery, which had been poorly understood.Received May 13, 2016; accepted November 5, 2016 Published online February 22, 2017