Abstract

Pelagic fisheries are of great importance to the economies of the U.S. and most Caribbean countries, mainly through the supply of fish as food, as an employment source and as an income generator. Pelagic fisheries in the Caribbean region involve small-scale and rural fishers and often represent their only source of income. The per-capita consumption of marine fish in the U.S. increases annually, with some of the demand met by pelagic species. In the Caribbean, the pelagic fisheries are crucial to satisfying food demand since most consumers are traditionally fish eaters. A review of pelagic fisheries studies in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea published in Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute between 1948 - 2004, revealed, from the very beginning, specific interests in biology and management of pelagic resources. More than 200 manuscripts examined multiple components of regional pelagic fisheries, ranging from species’ life histories, ecology and habitat to evolving fisheries and statistical treatment of landings data. Small pelagic species of interest included menhaden, flying fish, herrings and jacks; large pelagic species included dolphinfish, mackerels, wahoo, sharks, billfishes and tunas. Proceedings manuscripts with some element of pelagic fisheries content represented ~11% of the total number of Proceedings manuscripts (~30% between 1948-1980; ~70% between 1981-2004). Major emphasis areas were fishing, research, management & regulation, and conservation. Manuscripts tended to reflect the interests and issues pertaining to pelagic species and fisheries-related topics in the region on a time-scale basis, i.e. served as a proxy or trend line for topics of concern. During the 1950’s - 1960’s, development of new fishing techniques and exploratory fishing for species of potential economic importance were among the primary topics of interest, while the 1970’s revealed the need for technical assistance in developing small-scale fisheries, particularly in the Caribbean, as an emerging topic. The majority of pelagic fish manuscripts (~60%) were published between 1985 - 2005 when focus areas included advanced techniques for biological assessment, habitats, FADs, human dimensions, and management/regulation (or the lack thereof) of domestic and shared resources. Recent studies reported on socio-economics of small-scale Caribbean artisanal fisheries, the need to understand the distribution of pelagic stocks, genetic structure and trans-boundary movements of species to better inform the resource management decision-making process, and the need to effectively assess region-wide (Gulf and Caribbean) exploitation of large pelagic fish stocks, either intended or incidental. Authors expressed concerns that scientific data are virtually non-existent for many pelagic species in the region and that without adequate data and detailed assessments of local/regional stocks, large pelagic species could suffer the same overexploitation as coastal stocks, with resulting negative impact on fishers and consumers. To effectively manage and conserve these highly prized species, authors made clear that information on regional abundance, recruitment sources, migration patterns, spawning locations, environmental associations, and socio-economics is required in order to move forward with realistic measures. It was obvious from a review of pelagic fisheries manuscripts that integrated management approaches across the Gulf and Caribbean region, supported by good science, enhanced communication, a better informed management process and political will are critical to the wise use and sustainability of the region’s pelagic fisheries resources. Results of studies published in 57 years of the Proceedings provide essential knowledge to entities charged with improved management and stewardship of the region’s pelagic fish resources.

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