Volume 66
A Modified Catch Survey Analysis for Assessing Northern Gulf of Mexico Blue Crabs
Authors
Sutton, G., W. Cooper, J. West, R. Leaf, R. Riedel, and S. Vanderkooy Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2013
Pages: 93 94
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty six Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Corpus Christy
Country: USA
Abstract
Blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun) is an economically important coastal species distributed throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and from New England in the United States to northern Argentina. Established commercial fisheries exist in most of the Atlantic and all GOM seaboard states. Landings in the GOM peaked in 1987 - 1988, but a general downward trend starting in 2000 has continued (VanderKooy and Perry, in prep.). In response to ongoing trends, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions (GSMFCs) Blue Crab Technical Task Force (TTF) decided to assess the status of these stocks in the GOM.