Abstract

In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in the human and financial resources devoted to the study of reef fish spawning aggregations in the wider Caribbean. The results from most studies suggest that spawning aggregations of commercially-important species such as groupers and snappers are highly vulnerable to directed fishing effort and that population abundance can be significantly reduced after only a few years of exploitation. High levels of fishing mortality at spawning aggregation sites can have important ecological effects on reef ecosystems as well as socio-economic impacts on fisheries. Following studies which demonstrated serious degradation of spawning aggregations of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), several countries in the wider Caribbean have taken decisive steps to protect and conserve these aggregation sites. The fishery management measures which have been put in place in various countries in the past five years will be discussed with particular emphasis on Belize and the Cayman Islands.

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