Abstract

The condition of the U.S. Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, stocks are presented. Commercial landings of the Atlantic group ranged from 6,344 to 2,332,479 pounds from 1962 through 1995 and stabilized at 1.9 million pounds per year during the early 1990s. Gulf group commercial landings ranged from 5,616 to 2,337,329 pounds with greater variability than the Atlantic group over recent years. Recreational harvests showed more annual variability than commercial landings with significant declines in recreational catches for both stocks. Recreational catch declines may be partly related to federal and state bag limit regulations enacted in the early 1990s. Increases in average length observed in recent years in both stocks may be due to size limits adopted for commercial and recreational fisheries during the early 1990’s. Recreational catch per unit of effort (CPUE) abundance varied without trend since 1981 while commercial abundance remained stable since 1993 for the Atlantic group. Recreational abundance of the Gulf group declined in the late 1980s concomitant with declining recreational catches however, recreational abundance remained stable since 1990 while catches continued to decline. Declining trends in commercial landings, recreational catches, and recreational CPUE began in the late 1980s for both groups and have continued through recent years for the Gulf group. Recreational CPUE remained stable in recent years. Larger changes in recreational catches and recreational abundance have occurred in the Gulf group than in the Atlantic group. Additional reductions in total annual harvest are expected with proposed changes in recreational bag limits and variable seasonal closures in the commercial fisheries. The relatively short time-series of information on changes in size, abundance, and total catch currently existing for the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack stocks is a limiting factor to determine the true condition of the stocks.

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