SPECIAL RE PORT STUDY OF THE FISHERIES POTENTIAL OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Contribution Number 1 Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station August 1969 • a • PRE FACE In August of 1965, the Caribbean Research Institute (CRI) of the College of the Virgin Islands (CVI) undertook concurrently the establishment of the Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station (VIERS) and a fishery project to be conducted through the facilities offered by the Station. Their project was supported by the U. S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (BSFW) with funds coming from D-J project F-4-R. The first building to be erected at the site of the Research Station (Lameshur Bay, St. John) was a fisheries laboratory constructed with funds from the Accelerated Public Works Program. Before this construction, VIERS used a leased facility at Chocolate Hole, St. John. In February 1966, the U. S. Bureau of Comm ercial Fisheries (BC F) through the PL-88-309 program agreed to enter jointly with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife into a project entitled "Study of the Fishery Potential of the Virgin Islands." This combined fisheries research program has been designated F-4-R by the BSFW and 2-33-R by the BCF. Matching funds were made available by Virgin Islands legislative action with funds allotted to the College of the Virgin Islands by the Office of the Governor. Since the inception of the program in 1965, many people have participated and contrib- uted in one way or another to the study. It is impossible to thank all those who did contribute but certainly those listed below deserve special mention: Mr. D. Allen, Secretary to the Director, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station; Mr. J. Brown, Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park; Miss M. Bryant, Director of the • Budget, Government of the U. S. Virgin Islands; Mrs. N. Carlson, Project Coor- dinator, Caribbean Research Institute; Mrs. A. Dammann, Secretary to the Director, Caribbean Research Institute; Mr. M. De Castro, Director of the Budget, Government of the U. S. Virgin Islands; Mr. C. Evans, Fisheries Technician; Mr. T. Finucan, Advisor to the President, College of the Virgin Islands and Interim Director, Caribbean Research Institute; Mr. F. Givens, Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park; Mr. C. Harrigan, Caretaker, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station; Mr. I. Koblick, Fisheries Technician, and Coordinator of Field Studies, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station; Miss J. Lasko, bio-assay of Uca pugnax; Mr. R. McClendon, Fish- eries Biologist; Mr. R. Paiewonsig, Governor of the U. S. Virgin Islands; Mr. P. Winkler, Fisheries Biologist; Mr. J. Yntema, Boat Supervisor, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station; and Miss S. Yntema, Research Assistant, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station; Dr. E. Towle, Director, Caribbean Research Institute. In addition to those persons listed above, Captains Jerry Black, Jimmy Loveland, Johnny Harms and Tom Gifford have contributed many data on catch effort and local- ities, in addition to many fish specimens, to the project. Captain Harms' carefully maintained records have been a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the Sport Fishery of the islands. Mr. Koblick, Mr. Swingle, Mr. Yntema and the Project Leader have assumed the responsibility for the major part of the field work and/or writing of this report. Mr. Allen and Miss Yntema have done the typing and reproduction. To all these people and the many others not mentioned, but who have contributed in one way or another, go our thanks and appreciation. Arthur E. Dammann Project Leader and Director, Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station August 31, 1969 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preface ....................................................................................................... Table of Contents .................................................................................... List of Charts .......................................................................................... iv List of Figures ......................................................................................... iv List of Graphs .......................................................................................... iv List of Tables (Appendix A) .................................................................... List of Tables (Appendix B) .................................................................... vii Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter I The Physical Environment ............................................................. 5 Chapter II The Biological Environment .......................................................... 13 Chapter III The Fishes ....................................................................................... 24 Chapter IV The Fishery .................................................................................... 32 Chapter V Fish Poisoning ................................................................................. 92 Chapter VI Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................. 101 Literature Cited .................................................................................... 110 Appendix A 120 Appendix B ............................................................................................. 171 lii LIST OF CHARTS Page Chart Number 1 Some General Current Observations in the Virgin 120 Islands Chart Number 2 Local August Currents 121 Chart Number 3 Maximum Bottom Currents 122 Chart Number 4 August Surface Temperature 123 Chart Number 5 January Surface Temperature 124 Chart Number 6 Isohalines in a Shallow Mangrove Lagoon 125 Chart Number 7 St. John Shoreline Fishing 126 Chart Number 8 St. Thomas Shoreline Fishing 127 Chart Number 9 St. Croix Shoreline Fishing Chart Number 10 Transects of Bottom Types as Run With a Glass 129 Bottomed Barge LIST OF FIGURES Figure Number 1 Location (Reef Complex): Mary Creek, St. John, 130 U. S. Virgin Islands Figure Number 2 Diagrammatic Profile of Corals Across Reef 131 Number 1 at Mary Creek Figure Number 3 Diagrammatic Cross Section of Mary Creek 132 LIST OF GRAPHS Graph Number 1 Typical Tide Patterns at Lameshur Bay 133 Graph Number 2 Seasonal Catches of Sailfish 134 Graph Number 3 Seasonal Catches of Wahoo 135 Graph Number 4 Seasonal Catches of Dolphin 136 Graph Number 5 Seasonal Catches of False Albacore 139 Graph Number 6 Seasonal Catches of Blue and White Marlin 138 iv usr OF TABLES (APPENDIX A) Page Table Number 1 Water Column Characteristics Over a 24 Hour 139 Period Table Number 2 Productivity of Surface Waters in Selected Marine 140 Areas of the U. S. Virgin Islands Table Number 3 Carbon Assimilation of Some Surface Water Samples 140 Collected in the Virgin Islands Table Number 4 Productivity and Chlorophyll in Water at Different 141 Depths Off Great Cruz Bay, St. John Table Number 5 Productivity of Some Bays, U. S. Virgin Islands 141 Table Number 6 Surface Composition of a Virgin Islands Reef 142 Table Number 7 Classification of Coral Types 143 Table Number 8 Location of Corals Found in Mary Creek 144 Table Number 9 Location of Algae Types Found in Mary Creek 145 Table Number 10 Summary of 1968 Fishing by a Virgin Islands 146 Charter Boat Table Number 11 Shark Species of the Virgin Islands 147 Table Number 12 Effect of Poisoning on the Taxonomic Composition 148 of Reef Fish Populations Table Number 13 Summary of Fish Taken in Pots from a Controlled 149 Reef Table Number 14 Summary of Fish Poisoned from a Controlled Reef 150 on June 11, 1968 Table Number 15 Summary of Fish Poisoned from a Controlled Reef 157 on September 13, 1968 Table Number 16 Distribution of 176 Fish Species with Seasonal. 164 Spawning Periods Table Number 17 Peak Seasonal Gonad Ripeness of 40 Species of 165 Game Fish Table Number 18 Full-time Charter Boats in the American Virgin 166 Islands LIST OF TABLES Page Table Number 19 Incidence of Fish Poisoning Cases from the Knud 167 Hansen Memorial Hospital Records Table Number 20 Preliminary Ciguatera Tests on Uca pugnax 168 Table Number 21 Dose-Responses Curve for Uca pugnax 169 Table Number 22 Comparisons of Mouse and Mongoose as Bio-Assay 170 Animals vi LIST OF TABLES (APPENDIX B) Page Table Number 1 Birthplaces of Commercial Fishermen Operating 171 in the American Virgin Islands Table Number 2 Personal and Financial Data for Commercial 172 Fishermen Landing Catches in the American Virgin Islands Table Number 3 Power Used on Fishing Craft Landing Seafood in the 173 American Virgin Islands Table Number 4 Capital Investment of Commercial Fishermen Land- 174 ing Catches in the American Virgin Islands Table Number 5 Gear Used by Commercial Fishermen Landing Catches 175 in the American Virgin Islands Table Number 6 Gear and Catch Averages per Virgin Islands Commer- 176 cial Fisherman Table Number 7 Baits Used by Pot Fishermen in the Virgin Islands 177 Table Number 8 Fisherman-Reported Variation in Catch and Monetary 178 Return in the Virgin Islands Commercial Fishery Table Number 9 Fisherman-Reported Problems in the Virgin Islands 179 Commercial Fishery Table Number 10 Government Services or Regulations Requested by 180 American Virgin Islands Commercial Fishermen Table Number 11 Customer Preference for Local Finfish, as Reported 181 by Commercial Fishermen Landing Catches in the American Virgin Islands Table Number 12 Commonly Ciguatoxic Fish, as Reported by Virgin 182 Islands Commercial Fishermen Table Number 13 Areas Often Yielding Ciguatoxic Fish,