Abstract

The tiger grouper (Mycteroperca tigris) is reported to occur from Bermuda, Florida, Campeche and the West Indies to the northem coast of South America. There is little information on local abundance around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In fact, the available information indicates that the species is nowhere abundant and only harvested at the spawning aggregation sites. Other spawning aggregated groupers, as the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) have been heavily fished during the aggregations periods and become commercially extinct caribbeanwide.\The tiger grouper spawning aggregation site off Vieques (Puerto Rico) have been studied since 1992, gathering data on landings, catch per unit of effort and size distribution. Recently (1996), a tag and recapture project was initiated to gather information on spawning aggregation size and site fidelity. The broad purpose of these studies is to keep a permanent monitory program of the fishery, pointing toward the sustainable use of the resource.\The current status of the tiger grouper fishery at Vieques Island was determined by analyzing the effort, the landing data (estimated and reported), and the biostatistical information collected between 1995 and 1998. In spite of the decline in landings (more associated with a decrease in fishing effort), a series of positive tendencies, related with the number of active fishing boats, the kind of gears used and the size of the caught individuals, suggest that we are in the presence of a healthy and well managed fishery.

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