Recreational Landings Research Articles

Characterization of supply of marine finfish species with potential for commercial growth in the United States

AbstractGlobal production of marine finfish has grown in total volume of production and the number of species farmed commercially, but there has been little production in the United States of marine finfish other than salmon and red drum. For most species considered to be ready for commercialization, there are few or no farms from which to evaluate the size of the market or to estimate revenues and costs necessary to assess economic feasibility. This present study takes a first step to fill this gap with an analysis of the existing supply of 20 marine finfish species identified as candidates for commercialization in the United States, as a proxy for effective demand (the volume of a product sold at the market equilibrium price). Secondary data from 1950 (where available) through 2019 were compiled on each species, including (1) global aquaculture production, (2) US aquaculture production, (3) US commercial landings, (4) US recreational landings, and (5) imports. Current effective market demand (measured as the sum of commercial landings, farmed production, and imports) was low, totaling 36.6 million kg across the 20 species, which is equivalent to less than 23% of the annual volume sold of US farmed catfish. Commercial landings for 17 of the 20 species exhibited declines, potentially offering opportunities for farmed product to capture market share by filling the increasing gaps in supply. The variability in commercial landings provides opportunities for farms to capitalize on their advantage in supplying product with a high degree of consistency of volume, size, delivery frequency, and quality. Several unknown factors suggest the need for follow‐up studies on consumer preferences, degree of substitutability among finfish species, and effects of recreational landings on demand. An important limitation to prospective producers is the lack of species‐specific import data for the generic categories of “flounder,” “bass,” and “snapper.” This supply analysis provides a foundational analysis for prospective producers, investors, and researchers interested in commercialization of these marine species.

Frameless—finding and refining a sampling frame for surveying recreational fisheries: lessons from estimating Swedish harvest of western Baltic cod

Abstract To achieve sustainable fisheries, advice to management should be based on reliable science and unbiased data. Attaining quality data (i.e. precise and unbiased) on recreational fishing can be challenging, particularly when prior knowledge of the sector is limited and a proper sample frame of recreational fishers or vessels does not exist. In this study, a registry of access points was constructed for the Swedish south–west coast and used as a spatial sample frame in determining both effort and catches of the private boat fishery. Sampling dates, times for sampling, and access points visited were selected using probabilistic methods, ensuring unbiased results. The final multi-stage sampling design involved multiple strata, clusters, and probability selection methods and enabled first-time estimation of Swedish recreational landings of western Baltic cod by private boats to be used in stock assessment. Concurrent data collection covering aspects such as boat counts at access points, provided additional information on e.g. activity patterns. That additional information opens possibilities to refine the design of the original survey and optimize the sampling effort towards different goals, such as other fished resources. In this paper, we reflect on the challenges that limitations in initial information poses to the design and deployment of a new recreational fisheries survey. We suggest ways, whereby indirect sampling frames can be developed from initially incomplete or limited information to access the fishers and their catch. Our experience shows that, despite initial frame and knowledge limitations, full probabilistic methods are worth considering in data limited scenarios and that the design-based point estimates and variances they provide on recreational fishing effort and catches are useful in guiding initial management and the next steps of survey improvement.

Spatiotemporal Variability of Fishery‐Dependent Indices for the Declining Louisiana Southern Flounder Fishery

AbstractIn recent years, management agencies across the Gulf of Mexico and southern U.S. Atlantic have recognized Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma as a declining fish stock. Population declines in coastal Louisiana are exhibited by indices of recruitment and biomass, which have reached levels that present management concerns. To develop a better understanding of this declining fishery, we examined fishery‐dependent data collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ recreational angler harvest survey (referred to as “LA Creel”). Data were modeled using generalized additive models to estimate temporal components of recreational Southern Flounder landings in both seasonality and trend. Over the study period (2014–2019), recreational landings exhibited a declining trend statewide. Strong seasonal peaks in the fall occurred statewide and regionally in every coastal management zone (i.e., estuary). Understanding the current fishery with the fine‐scale resolution provided by the LA Creel survey can be used to help guide future management decisions in the pursuit of a sustainable management strategy inclusive of fishery‐dependent information.

Age and Growth of Yellowfin Tuna in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic

AbstractAge, growth, and mortality were estimated for Yellowfin Tuna Thunnus albacares from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean. During 2004–2017, 3,443 Yellowfin Tuna were sampled, primarily from recreational landings off the coast of Louisiana (90%). Based on reading otoliths, ages ranged from 1 to 18 years, with younger fish (<4 years) representing the majority (78%) of the age‐classes. Otolith weight was allometrically related to fish age (r2 = 0.91), which suggests that it may be a useful tool in indirectly estimating age given the challenges associated with directly aging tropical tunas. Based on Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), the Richards growth model had the most parsimonious fit to the length‐at‐age data (average maximum length L∞ = 1,658 mm, growth coefficient k = 0.23 year−1, a = 1.04, b = 0.45) compared to the von Bertalanffy growth model (L∞ = 1,589 mm, k = 0.36 year−1, theoretical age at zero length t0 = −0.8 year; AIC difference = 26.21), which had a relatively poor fit. The size‐modified Richards model, which assumed a truncated error structure at the minimum size limit (686 mm curved fork length [CFL]) in fishery‐dependent collections, improved the fit in the smallest individuals and was therefore the preferred model. Males and females had similar maximum ages (18 and 17 years, respectively) but showed significant differences in growth, with males reaching a larger L∞ than females (size‐modified Richards: 1,706 versus 1,568 mm CFL, respectively). Baseline natural mortality (M) using a maximum age of 18 years was 0.346 and was then scaled across age‐classes. These growth and mortality estimates and the individual age data have been used in improving stock assessments for Yellowfin Tuna to support scientific management.

Governing the recreational dimension of global fisheries

Fisheries provide food. In industrialized nations, the overwhelming portion of seafood comes from a small number of commercial fishers and increasingly aquaculture (1). Fisheries also contribute to leisure and recreation. In developed nations, 1 in 10 people fishes for pleasure, amounting to at least 220 million recreational fishers worldwide (2, 3)—more than 5 times the number of commercial capture fishers (1). This means that the vast majority of people fishing today do so recreationally (Fig. 1). For too long, the considerable importance and impacts of recreational fisheries have been ignored. Image credit: Florian Mollers (photographer). And yet, for too long, the considerable importance and impacts of recreational fisheries have been ignored. Policymakers and managers need to acknowledge and address the recreational fisheries sector, rethink management objectives and schemes, involve recreational fishers in decision-making processes, incentivize sustainable angler behavior, and improve data collection and monitoring. Recreational fisheries deserve to be considered on equal footing with commercial fisheries, particularly in mixed coastal fisheries. Although commercial capture fisheries globally harvest about 8 times the fish biomass caught by recreational fisheries (4), in many localities recreational landings now rival or even exceed the biomass removals by commercial fisheries. In inland waters in the temperate zone, recreational anglers are now the predominant users of wild fish stocks (5), and recreational fishers have become prevalent in many coastal and marine fisheries (6, 7). Globally, recreational fishers catch about 47 billion individual fish per year, of which more than half are released alive (4), either because of harvest regulations or in response to personal ethics (8). Despite high release rates, fishing for food is a strong motive and justification for recreational fisheries (9). Beyond nutritional benefits, recreational fisheries provide a range of psychological, social, educational, and economic benefits to fishers and society that are … [↵][1]2To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: arlinghaus{at}igb-berlin.de. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Biotelemetry based estimates of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) post-release mortality in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) stock has been designated as “overfished” by the National Marine Fisheries Service and is currently under a rebuilding plan. Its fishery in the Gulf of Mexico is dominated by recreational landings, where 75% of the total recreational catch are regulatory discards; as such, uncertainty regarding the post-release mortality rate represents a data deficiency in the stock assessment. To determine post-release mortality, a combination of acoustic and pop-up satellite archival transmitting (PSAT) tags were used to monitor the release fate and depth-use of greater amberjack. Thirty-six greater amberjack were tagged with acoustic transmitters at two sites in the northern GOM and monitored for up to 30 days. Sublegal-sized fish (n = 18) ranged from 591 to 740 mm FL (mean = 674.6 ± 40.6 SE) and legal-sized fish (n = 18) ranged from 768 to 1081 mm FL (mean = 871.3 ± 77.5 SE). All 36 fish were detected in the array after release. Based on examination of time series depth profiles, post-release mortality was estimated to be 18.8% ± 6.9%, strikingly similar to the estimate used in the most recent stock assessment. Stepwise model selection using AIC identified the Cox proportional hazards model containing only release condition as the most parsimonious model to predict post-release mortality. Despite differences in depth between the two tagging sites, fish showed slight, but consistent, size-specific segregation patterns. Our findingsadd to a body of literature demonstrating that biotelemetry is an effective tool in catch and release mortality studies, and provide best practices that can aid in the recovery of this stock.

Economic, social and ecological attributes of marine recreational fisheries in Galicia, Spain

There are growing concerns about the impact of Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) on marine ecosystems and its combined effects with other human activities, such as commercial fishing, especially on the higher trophic levels. Conversely, recreational fishers provide considerable economic benefits through their expenditure on many things including fishing tackle, boats, licenses, travel, and accommodation. However, research on MRF in Europe is limited, particularly in Southern countries. In Galicia (Northwest Spain) detailed information on MRF is still needed to support management and to reduce growing conflicts between recreational fishers and other stakeholders including the commercial fishing sector. This paper provides the first comprehensive analysis of MRF in Galicia including the economic, social, and ecological impacts, from a survey of 363 recreational fishers. It was estimated that there are 60 000 recreational fishers, comprised of 45 000 shore anglers, 12 000 boat anglers and 3000 spear fishers. Each year, they spend 86 €M on fishing gear and other expenses, while boat owners spend another 11 €M. Fishers’ activity is higher in summer and spring, especially in the case of boat anglers. Recreational fishers reported catching 38 species, but the most common were ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and white seabream (Diplodus sargus). Annual recreational catch is about 7 500 t (5–13% of commercial and recreational landings of the same species); shore anglers are responsible for 50% of total MRF catches, boat anglers for 40%, and spear fishers for 10%. The results are discussed in the context of management that could improve the socio-ecological sustainability of MRF.

Characterizing the Preferences and Values of U.S. Recreational Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Anglers

AbstractThe Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus is the target of a recreational fishery along the U.S. East Coast that is thought to be of considerable economic value. In some years, recreational landings have exceeded the sector's annual subquota due to changes in fish availability, limited predictability of angler effort, and difficulties in real‐time monitoring of catch. Understanding the drivers of angler behavior is critical for predicting how effort and harvest may vary as a function of changing fish availability, regulations, or costs. To investigate angler decision making, preferences, and values, we surveyed private recreational anglers from Maine to North Carolina and employed discrete choice experiments to determine how regulatory and nonregulatory trip‐specific variables influence trip‐taking behavior. A latent class‐ranked logit model identified two distinct classes of anglers who exhibited differing preferences in regard to the importance of nonconsumptive aspects of Bluefin Tuna fishing (e.g., catch and release). Income and recent Bluefin Tuna targeting were the primary determinants of class membership, and higher‐income anglers who had targeted Bluefin Tuna in the past 5 years were significantly more likely to be in the class that derives substantive benefits from nonconsumptive angling activities. An annual consumer surplus exceeding US$14 million was estimated for the 2015 fishery. We considered potential angler welfare impacts of possible management changes (compensating surplus) and identified a large amount of latent effort currently present in the fishery in the form of consumptive‐oriented anglers. As a result, liberalization of harvest regulations could potentially lead to a large influx of effort into the fishery, which could impede the ability of managers to maintain harvest levels within prescribed limits.

Evaluating the Potential for a Sex‐Balanced Harvest Approach in the Recreational Summer Flounder Fishery

AbstractSummer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus support important recreational and commercial fisheries along the northeast and mid‐Atlantic coasts of the USA. In the recreational sector, management efforts to constrain harvest below the maximum allowable catch have typically involved increasing the minimum landing size; however, females grow faster than males. Thus, reliance on increased minimum size limits as a management strategy has resulted in approximately 90% of the recent recreational landings being large, female fish. We evaluated the potential for slot limits to produce a sex‐balanced harvest in the recreational Summer Flounder fishery. To estimate the size‐ and sex‐specific vulnerability, we sampled the landed and discarded fish (n = 3,290) caught by recreational anglers on select party boats from New Jersey to Rhode Island during the 2016 recreational fishing season. We then examined the performance of a wide array of slot limits to estimate which would have promoted a more sex‐balanced harvest while maintaining a fixed fishing mortality given the observed catch composition. We demonstrate that slot limits applied to the recreational Summer Flounder fishery have the potential to simultaneously meet multiple management objectives, including the conservation of female biomass while maintaining a fixed fishing mortality; however, no single slot limit performed best at all sampling locations. Results should therefore be viewed as optimal given the observed catch composition for the year, fishing mode, and locations that were observed, and further evaluation of interannual, spatial, and fishing mode variability is warranted.Received March 17, 2017; accepted July 26, 2017Published online October 20, 2017

Estimating and mitigating the discard mortality of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Gulf of Maine recreational rod-and-reel fishery

Abstract In recent years, the recreational contribution to the total catch of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) has increased with recreational discards outnumbering recreational landings by 2:1. However, the discard mortality (DM) rate of cod released in the recreational fishery remains poorly understood, thus contributing to the uncertainty in stock assessments and fishery management plans. The current study examined the capture-related factors most detrimental to cod DM in the GOM recreational rod-and-reel fishery. Atlantic cod (n = 640; 26.0–72.0 cm) were angled from June–October 2013 on southern Jeffreys Ledge in the western GOM using fishing gear representative of the local recreational fishery. A subset (n = 136) was also tagged with pressure-sensing acoustic transmitters before being released into an acoustic receiver array (n = 31) deployed to monitor survival up to 94 days. To properly model DM up to the fishery-wide level, all cod were visually assessed for capture-related injuries according to a four-level injury score index. Mean tackle-specific DM rates of 15.4 and 21.2% were estimated for bait- and jig-captured cod, respectively, with an overall 16.5% mean DM rate for the 2013 GOM recreational cod fishery. Twenty-nine cod tagged with acoustic transmitters were identified as dead, where the majority (∼90%) died within 16 h post-capture. Upon evaluation with a specifically adapted parametric survival analysis, greater incidence of mortality was attributed to the capture and handling process (rather than release) for moderately and severely injured cod. Based on the capture-related factors associated with the highest injury rates, we recommend minimizing fight and handling times, avoiding areas with small cod, educating inexperienced anglers, and favouring bait over jigs to mitigate mortality. Results will continue to inform the development of fishery management plans and enhance survival through dissemination of “best practice” techniques to fishery stakeholders.

Reconstruction of Italy’s marine fisheries removals and fishing capacity, 1950–2010

Italy has the highest catches of all countries fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the availability of fisheries statistics at the national level, reported catch amounts account only for a portion of total fisheries removals. This study aims to provide an estimate of 1) catches for all marine fishing sectors; 2) fishing effort in the major Italian fishing fleets; and 3) catch per unit of effort from 1950 to 2010. Catches were estimated using a catch-reconstruction approach that looked at all types of fisheries removals: from reported and unreported landings (from both industrial and artisanal fisheries) to recreational landings and discards. The reconstructed total catch for the 1950–2010 time period was 2.6 times the amount reported by the FAO on behalf of Italy. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) landings constituted 53.9% of the reconstructed total catch, followed by reported catches (38.8%) and unreported discards (7.3%). Industrial fisheries were dominant, with 79.1% of the reconstructed total removals, followed by the artisanal catch (16.8%), with recreational (3.2%) and subsistence (0.9%) fisheries making very small contributions. Catch per unit of effort declined since the early 1950s. Our study is the first that estimated total Italian fisheries removals and fishing capacity using a holistic approach; such approach is particularly important in areas like the Mediterranean Sea, where the multi-species and multi-gear nature of fisheries make the assessment of single-species fisheries resources and their management difficult.

Dispatches

Dispatches

Combining Telephone Surveys and Fishing Catches Self-Report: The French Sea Bass Recreational Fishery Assessment

Fisheries statistics are known to be underestimated, since they are mainly based on information about commercial fisheries. However, various types of fishing activities exist and evaluating them is necessary for implementing effective management plans. This paper assesses the characteristics and catches of the French European sea bass recreational fishery along the Atlantic coasts, through the combination of large-scale telephone surveys and fishing diaries study. Our results demonstrated that half of the total catches (mainly small fish) were released at sea and that the mean length of a kept sea bass was 46.6 cm. We highlighted different patterns of fishing methods and type of gear used. Catches from boats were greater than from the shore, both in abundance and biomass, considering mean values per fishing trip as well as CPUE. Spearfishers caught the highest biomass of sea bass per fishing trip, but the fishing rod with lure was the most effective type of gear in terms of CPUE. Longlines had the highest CPUE value in abundance but not in biomass: they caught numerous but small sea bass. Handlines were less effective, catching few sea bass in both abundance and biomass. We estimated that the annual total recreational sea bass catches was 3,173 tonnes of which 2,345 tonnes were kept. Since the annual commercial catches landings were evaluated at 5,160 tonnes, recreational landings represent 30% of the total fishing catches on the Atlantic coasts of France. Using fishers' self-reports was a valuable way to obtain new information on data-poor fisheries. Our results underline the importance of evaluating recreational fishing as a part of the total amount of fisheries catches. More studies are critically needed to assess overall fish resources caught in order to develop effective fishery management tools.

From bonito to anchovy: a reconstruction of Turkey’s marine fisheries catches (1950-2010)

Turkey’s marine fisheries catches were estimated for the 1950-2010 time period using a reconstruction approach, which estimated all fisheries removals, including unreported landings, recreational landings and discards. We added these estimates to the ‘official’ data, as reported in TURKSTAT, which are also available from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The total reconstructed catch for the 1950-2010 time period (inclusive of the reported data) is approximately 32 million t, or 74% more than the 18.4 million t of reported data. This added approximately 13.6 million t to the reported data, consisting of 6.9 million t of unreported landings, 2.6 million t of discards, 2.4 million t of recreational catches, and 1.7 million t of subsistence catches. In 2010, total reported marine landings for Turkey were 445,680 t and the total reconstructed catch was 763,760 t, or 73% more than the reported data. The main unreported taxon by tonnage was European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) due to its sheer high proportion of catch. The major reasons for underreporting include a general distrust fishers have towards the taxing system combined with inefficient fisheries monitoring and surveillance capabilities. Accounting for all fisheries components is crucial in understanding the development of fisheries resources, improving management, and reducing threats to the domestic food security of Turkey.

Sex at Length of Summer Flounder Landed in the New Jersey Recreational Party Boat Fishery

AbstractFemale summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus grow faster than males and experience a lower natural mortality rate. Sex‐structured assessment models have been developed for other fishes with sexually dimorphic characteristics to better account for population dynamics. Although a desire exists to develop similar assessment techniques for summer flounder, some prerequisite data are not available, including the sex of fish that are landed in the recreational fishery. Furthermore, summer flounder recreational landings are constrained within harvest limits almost entirely by minimum size restrictions—a management approach that could place much of the recreational fishing mortality on females. To fill a basic but important data requirement to improve the stock assessment of this species while also providing some insight on how current management strategies might impact the sex structure of the population, we collected data on sex and length of summer flounder (n = 4,437) that were landed in the New Jersey recreational fishery in 2009 and 2010. Females dominated the recreational catch in both years (95% female overall). The proportion of landed fish at a given length that were females was greater at lower latitudes and earlier in the summer; the proportion female at length was greater in 2010 than in 2009. Extensive seasonal, annual, and spatial variability evident over such a local scale suggests a highly dynamic sex dependency in the population dynamics of summer flounder and indicates that a more robust data set covering wider geographic and temporal scales will be necessary before sex‐specific landings data can be confidently incorporated into an assessment.Received February 20, 2012; accepted August 17, 2012

Recreational Fisheries and Marine Protected Area Management: Marine Policy and Environmental Management of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (USA)

The demand on our marine resources is increasing at unsustainable rates; however, marine policy and management is complex, political, and time consuming. One tool that resource managers in the United States use for managing, protecting, and conserving fragile marine resources is the designation of Marine Protected Areas. Presently, the public is concerned with the status and health of the fish and fisheries associated with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). Given these conservation and social issues, the main goal of this study was to provide an evaluation of the recreational fisheries associated with the FGBNMS. Findings showed that recreational landings were dominated by red snapper, vermilion snapper, and gray triggerfish; landings varied significantly by month and location. The highest fishing effort was in summer and the highest catch rates were in spring and fall; catch rates varied significantly by species and location in some areas. The mean weight of the primary recreational species taken was correlated negatively with time, but statistical similar. Proposed management measures for the FGBNMS are expected to impact some recreational fisheries, but long-term outcomes should benefit the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

A Six‐Decade Portrait of Florida Marine Fisheries via Landings‐Based Trophodynamic Indicators

AbstractFour trophic‐level (TL)‐based metrics—landings trophic spectra (LTS), landings proportions of TL categories (LP), landings mean TL (MTL), and fishing‐in‐balance index (FiB)—are used to describe Florida's coast‐specific and statewide commercial, recreational, and combined marine fisheries and to examine whether “fishing down the marine food web” (FDMFW) occurred during 1950–2007. Effects of environment‐dependent species, large pelagic species, market and exploitation pressures, and revenue on these metrics are also examined. For the commercial and combined landings, analyses indicate (1) significant shifts of LTS from lower to higher TLs; (2) significant declines of LP for lower‐TL species (2.0 ≤ TL < 3.0) and increases of LP for intermediate‐TL animals (3.0 ≤ TL < 4.2; Gulf of Mexico coast and whole state) and top predators (TL ≥ 4.2; Atlantic coast and whole state); (3) significant increase of MTL; and (4) increase of FiB during the 1960s–1980s (expanding fisheries) and significant declines thereafter (fisheries contractions). Such metrics for the recreational landings vary without trends, and the commercial metrics drive the combined ones. Commercial and combined FiBs highlight the late 1970s–mid‐1980s as a backward‐bending period characterized by declines of commercial and combined landings along with increasing MTL. Base MTLs derived for all species (groups) do not reveal any FDMFW symptoms, and use of a cutoff TL of 3.25 and exclusion of large pelagic species do not alter combined FiB. The former process maintains the increasing trend of combined MTL on the Atlantic coast and leads to stability of Gulf coast and statewide combined MTL. The evolution of economic and regulatory conditions emerges as a key factor that influenced the changes in landings trophic structure. The fisheries contractions accompanied by the reduction in landings are incompatible with an increase in exvessel price rate and revenue. Contractions in the fisheries were likely due to reduction of fishing pressure, unaccounted discards, and closed areas and seasons, which themselves were rooted in management regulations.

Interactions between bluefish and striped bass: Behavior of bluefish under size- and number-impaired conditions and overlap in resource use

A decline in bluefish ( Pomatomus saltatrix L.) recreational landings during the 1990s and the early 2000s led to multiple theories on the ultimate cause. One theory was that a large portion of the bluefish population moved offshore and was unavailable to nearshore recreational fishers; one reason given for the movement offshore was increased competition with striped bass ( Morone saxatilis W.). We conducted laboratory experiments (feeding and non-feeding) to examine behavioral interactions between adult bluefish and sub-adult striped bass in a large (121,000 L) research aquarium. Additionally, we examined diet and habitat overlap of bluefish and striped bass from the fall and spring bottom trawl surveys conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Observations of feeding trials for the following treatments were made: non-impaired (i.e., same number and size of bluefish and striped bass), size-impaired (i.e., large striped bass/small bluefish), number-impaired (i.e.,10 striped bass/3bluefish), and single-species controls. Within a species, there was no difference in a variety of behavioral measures (e.g., attack rate, capture success, ingestion rate, and activity) between mixed- and control treatments under non-impaired or size-impaired conditions. However, behavior of number-impaired bluefish differed from control and size-impaired fish suggesting that striped bass may have a negative influence on bluefish foraging when bluefish are “out-numbered”. Feeding had a strong effect on swimming speeds for both species. Diet and habitat overlap between bluefish and striped bass in continental shelf waters was low. Overall, foraging behavior in mixed-species treatments and field observations suggest no competitive interactions between adult bluefish and sub-adult striped bass.

The Recreational Fisher's Perspective

In their report “The impact of United States recreational fishers on marine fish populations” (Reports, published online 26 Aug. 2004, DOI 10.1126/science.1100397; 24 Sept. 2004, p. 1958), F. C. Coleman et al. suggest that the overfished condition of marine fish stocks rests on the shoulders of the recreational angler. In reality, the study merely confirms what fishery scientists, managers, and anglers themselves have known for decades—recreational catches comprise a significant share of some U.S. fisheries. Unfortunately, the authors have mischaracterized marine fisheries by pointing out just the current proportion of recreational landings of a few “populations of concern.” What the authors fail to consider in the study is how most of these species arrived at their current condition—through years of commercial overfishing.

The impact of United States recreational fisheries on marine fish populations.

We evaluated the commercial and recreational fishery landings over the past 22 years, first at the national level, then for populations of concern (those that are overfished or experiencing overfishing), and finally by region. Recreational landings in 2002 account for 4% of total marine fish landed in the United States. With large industrial fisheries excluded (e.g., menhaden and pollock), the recreational component rises to 10%. Among populations of concern, recreational landings in 2002 account for 23% of the total nationwide, rising to 38% in the South Atlantic and 64% in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, it affects many of the most-valued overfished species-including red drum, bocaccio, and red snapper-all of which are taken primarily in the recreational fishery.