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8/6/2019 Pew Gag Grouper 051911
1/2
GULF OF MEXICO FISHCONSERVATION CAMPAIGN
www.PewEnvironment.org/GulfFis
l Easily caught and found in well-knowspawning grounds.
l Frequently caught and killed by
accident when shermen target other
species
l In further decline after 1 in 5 gag died i
2005 in the wake of a major red tide
2010 RULES
l Annual catch allowed: commercial,
1.49 million pounds; recreational,
2.14 million pounds
l Two gag per person per recreational
shing trip
l Size limit: 24 inches, commercial;
22 inches, recreational
l Recreational shing season closed
February and March
l All grouper species limited to four
sh per person per shing trip
l Quota program limits the number
of commercial shermen and caps
the amount each can keep
A PLAN TO SAVE GAG GROUPER
If you think of a mouthwatering sh sandwich, it may be gag grouper. But since 2004,
the population has been sliced nearly in half. A recovery plan can help this species
rebound. It calls for a shorter recreational shing season, reduced commercial catch and
other protections. But those rules could be relaxed as gag grouper show signs of recovery
Three areasabout 600 square milesare closed to gag fshing to protect the speciesspawning grounds, but the regions known asSteamboat Lumps, Madison-Swanson andThe Edges protect only a portion o thedwindling male population. Fishery managersmay close additional areas and could chooselocations in 2011. Two tracts (red)a70-square-mile and a 244-square-milesectionare some areas under consideration.
SHORT TERM
Beginning Jan. 1, 2011
l Commercial quota limited to 430,000pounds only to allow for accidental
catch
l Recreational shing open Sept. 16
to Nov. 15; Florida rules to mirror
federal rules beginning June 1
LONG TERM POTENTIAL CHANGE
Expected to begin January 2012
l Closed recreational shing season
November through June
l Annual permitted catch reduced about50 to 60 percent to roughly 1 million
pounds for recreational and nearly
600,000 for commercial
l Additional areas closed to protect
spawning and reduce harvest
l Commercial size limit reduced from
24 to 22 inches
l Maintain 22-inch recreational
minimum size limit; add 30-inch
maximum limit
NEW RULES
Millions of Gulf gag grouper are
caught annually, but the sh represent
a small percentage of species that
shermen target.
2.4% Recreational fshing trips wheregag is main target
6% Gags value in the total take o reespecies by commercial fshermen
IMPACTEXPANDING SPAWNING
& HABITAT PROTECTIONS
* Fact sheet inormation rom latest gag grouper study preliminary results. Fact sheet sources: Gul o Mexico Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service.
SIGNS OF DECLINE*
Gag grouper are:l At about 40 percent of a minimum
healthy population level
l Fished at more than 2.5 times the
sustainable rate
l Predominantly female; they outnumber
males 30 to 1, leaving fewer breeders
SteamboatLumps
The Edges
MadisonSwanson
Florida
1020
20
30
30
50
50
40
40
NOAA
Tampa
Panama City
Gag grouper are primarily caught o Floridaswest coast between Tampa and Panama City.
SeaPics.com
LowMediumHigh
Abundance
8/6/2019 Pew Gag Grouper 051911
2/2Printed on 100% recycled p
POPULATION DECLINE
MISSING MALES
EASY TARGETS
ACCIDENTAL CATCHRED TIDE
FALLOUT
GAG GROUPERS TROUBLES
The gag grouper population has been sliced nearly in half since 2004 and is
at about 40 percent of a minimum healthy level. The sh have been caught
at more than 2.5 times the sustainable rate. In the past, only a small portionof spawning habitat was protected and a lack of scientically sound shing
limits contributed to the species decline.
Male gags have dropped from as high as 17 percent of the population in
the 1970s to as low as 2 percent since the 1990s, leaving fewer breeders.
Gag are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning all start as female and some
develop into males at 11 years old or about 43 inches. Overshing has
snared many females that might potentially turn into males and has thrown
the natural process out of balance. Heavy shing at spawning areas also
further depletes males.
Gag are a popular target in part because they are easily found. Some smaller
sh remain close to shore or live near articial reefs and rocky bottoms.
While females move between shallower and deeper waters, the bigger
males reside at limerock outcroppings on the deep seaoor year-round.
Commercial shermen target these deeper spots and spawning areas.
Aggressive males eagerly feed on bait and are readily caught.
Too many gag grouper die after being throwback when they are not legal to keep or are
caught accidentally by shermen targeting
other species. A higher percentage
of gag die after being caught and released
in deeper waters, making it difcult for
gag to survive the rapid change in water
pressure. Reducing accidental catch is an
important component of ensuring sustainab
sheries in the Southeast, and additional
research is needed to identify tools and
techniques to address this issue.
PEG works to bring scientifc expertise to bear on fsherymanagement plans and seeks common ground with fshermento fnd solutions that balance human and environmental needsand raise awareness about overfshing and potential remedies.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
lVisit www.PewEnvironment.org/GulfFish to learn more and join oure-alert network. Contact Sharon McBreen at [email protected] or321-800-6313 to sign up or fsh news or join our cause. For inormation,contact project leader Holly Binns at [email protected] or 850-727-8241.
PEW ENVIRONMENT GROUP
In a major 2005 red
tide, an algal bloom
that released a potent
neurotoxin swept
through areas where
gag and many other
sh species live.
About 1 in 5 gag
died after that event,
adding to the deaths
that normally occur
from shing andnatural causesa
dramatic impact on
the population and
reproduction.
Fishermen haul ingag grouper romthe Gul o Mexicoo Panama City,Florida. Catch hita historic low in2009 o 2.4 millionpounds and isbeing restrictedto 1.16 millionpounds or 2011as new rules takeeect. But underthe rebuilding plan,permitted catch isprojected to reachabout 3 millionpounds by 2015.
Millionsofpounds
GAG CATCGul o Mexico landi
Commercial Recreatio6 M
5M
4M
3M
2M
1M
0
85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05
BENEFITS OF
REBUILDING
SeaPics.com
Jason Ar