Volume 69
Characterization of the Deep Water Snapper Fishery in Puerto Rico During 1998 – 2015
Authors
Matos-Caraballo, D., M. Ricuarte-Chica, S. Arguello Angarita, and L.A. Rivera Padilla Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2016
Pages: 391 - 392
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty eigth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Grand Cayman
Country: Cayman Islands
Abstract
Puerto Ricos commercial fisheries shown dramatic changes during the last 40 years. During the 1960s and 1970s the most used fishing gear were fish traps. Later during 1980s and 1990s most used fishing gear were hook and line. Dur-ing the 2000-to 2015, most of popular fishing method was SCUBA diving. The deep water snapper (DWS) has been the most important finfish fishery in Puerto Rico since 1970s. During the mentioned 1970-1990, there were approximately 25 fishing vessels 40 feet length or larger dedicated to DWS. The mentioned vessels travel from Puerto Rico to close neigh-bors Islands as Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Turk Caicos and others. From 1990s to the present there was observed that approximately 150 fishing vessels of 22-25 feet length has been used successfully for the DWS fishery. There are five species of DWS in Puerto Rico, silk snapper Lutjanus vivanus, blackfin snapper Lutjanus bucanella, queen snapper Etelis oculatus, vermillon snapper Rhomboplites aurorubens and cardinal snapper Pristipomoides macrophthalmus. On the other hand, in 2004, the DWS fishery was managed by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) and the NOAA Fisheries. This paper will show the trends in deep water snappers landings data, and also discuss management actions to protect these resources.