Abstract

The U.S. Caribbean includes Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. These islands support artisanal fisheries targeting spiny lobster, queen conch, and dozens of reef fish species. Effective management of these fisheries, in both state and federal waters, has been challenging due primarily to a dearth of information regarding harvest activities. Population assessments have been attempted (e.g., spiny lobster, queen conch, yellowtail snapper, yellowfin grouper), but none have yielded quantitative management advice. Given the distributed nature of these fisheries, effective management via the assessment process may not soon be achieved. However, other sampling and analytical approaches are available that can be effectively applied to evaluate fisheries sustainability and the relationship of fishing activities to the environment. For example, data-poor approaches (e.g., Spawning Potential Ratio Decision Tree) provide guidance for maintaining sustainable levels of harvest, and genetic approaches can provide complementary estimates of effective population size. When coupled with 3-dimensional physical oceanographic models and biogeographic information, appropriate analyses of genetic data also illuminate source/sink dynamics, the meta-structure of populations and communities, the design and effectiveness of refuges, and sources of resilience. If management actions are taken, environmental indicators need to be in place to provide data necessary to populate before-after-control-impact (BACI) analyses suitable for quantitative calibration of management decisions. Caribbean fisheries are inextricably linked to the ecology of the communities within which they occur. They must be managed within that context, and both economic and ecological considerations dictate maximum efficiency in the utilization of all pertinent data.