Abstract

This paper reviews the status of the yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus, commercial fishery in the Florida Keys based on data collected from 1985 to 1996 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) port agents. Growth and mortality were estimated by using length-frequency data collected from the commercial fishery in three zones of the Florida Keys: upper Keys, lower Keys, and the Dry Tortugas. Growth parameters were estimated for 1985-1989 and for 1990-1996 for the three zones. For all years and all areas combined, the total instantaneous mortality rate (Z) was 1.44 /year. Total fishing mortality (F) was 0.80/year. Ralston’s empirical formula was used to estimate a natural mortality (M) of 0.63/year. Exploitation rate (E) based on Pauly and Soriano’s relative yield-per- recruit model was 0.56. These results indicate that the yellowtail snapper fishery operating in the Florida Keys is exploited at or close to the optimum. Results were compared with values from Ocyurus chrysurus populations obtained in Florida and the Caribbean.

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