Abstract

The reef fish management system in the Southeast Region of the United States primarily relies on keeping fishery landings within a total allowable catch (TAC) limit. The shortcomings of this methodology are evidenced by the number of stocks in the region that are experiencing overfishing – fifteen in total for the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. Tracking only landings fails to account for the substantial numbers of fish killed as bycatch in these fisheries. While information on bycatch is collected annually, these estimates are not compared to allowable limits on a routine basis. This methodology has failed to ensure an end to overfishing, thus jeopardizing recovery of depleted species and potentially pushing rebuilding time frames further out into the future. The current system provides no tangible penalty for fisheries with high bycatch mortality levels thereby creating no incentives for fishermen to avoid or reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality. In evaluating past performance of management measures undertaken by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, The Ocean Conservancy sees little to gain from continuing the Total Allowable Catch management of the region’s reef fish resources. In order to meet legal mandates and ensure sustainable fisheries, the Southeast Region must develop a methodology to establish a total mortality limit that tracks not only landings versus the allowable catch, but monitors a total mortality limit that openly includes landings and bycatch

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