Abstract

The fish trap is a widely used gear for harvesting reef fish in U.S. Virgin Islands waters, but the use of this gear continues to be controversial because of non-target species retention and possible physical impacts to the reef. The Caribbean Fishery Management Council has partnered with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the government of the USVI, and commercial fishers to implement management measures designed to reduce ecosystem impacts of fish traps while minimizing socio-economic costs to fishing communities. As a first step, fully implemented annual catch limits have capped harvest by all gears within U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic zone waters. Additionally, a USVI fishers/government partnership has implemented a trap reduction program that codifies a cap on the number of traps allowed to be deployed by each fisher in territorial waters. This program also limits entry of additional fishers, ensuring a stable if not decreasing trap footprint in USVI waters. To manage trap impacts on ecosystem diversity, the effectiveness of various escape vent configurations is being tested to identify a single configuration that will minimize retention of non-desirable or non-target species with minimal reduction in catch of target species. Together, these measures serve to reduce fish trap impacts on USVI reefs while maintaining employment within the commercial fishing industry and food security within the communities they serve.

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