Abstract

Restoration projects are being developed in the northern Gulf of Mexico to compensate for injury to natural resources from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One project, Return them Right, aims to decrease post-release mortality in fisheries with high release rates by increasing the use of fish descender devices (FDDs). A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate post-release mortality of red snapper using FDDs and other release methods. The analysis used 77 red snapper mortality rates from 10 studies and evaluated differences in mortality for two release treatments (FDDs and venting) and a control (non-venting), accounting for season and depth at capture. The relative reduction in mortality rate due to FDD use was also applied to reported mortality rates for gag and red grouper to calculate benefits for these species. Results indicate that FDD use could significantly reduce post-release recreational fishing mortality, restoring injury to red snapper and other reef fish populations due to the oil spill. Benefits would be expected primarily along the Florida and Alabama coasts during summer months when fishing effort and discards are highest.