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Fishery Management Analyses for the Reef Fish in Biscayne National Park

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Fishery Management Analyses for the Reef Fish in Biscayne National Park National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Fishery Management Analyses for Reef Fish in Biscayne National Park: Bag and Size Limit Alternatives Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRTR — 2007/064 ON THE COVER Recreational Fishing in Biscayne National Park Photograph by: James Tilmant Fishery Management Analyses for Reef Fish in Biscayne National Park: Bag and Size Limit Alternatives Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRTR — 2007/064 Jerald S. Ault Department of Marine Biology and Fisheries Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences University of Miami 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149 Steven G. Smith Department of Marine Biology and Fisheries Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences University of Miami 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149 James T. Tilmant National Park Service Natural Resources Program Center Water Resources Division 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 250 Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 This report was prepared under NPS­CESU Task Agreement H50000B494­J5250020400 with supplemental funding from NOAA NMFS Coral Reef Program Grant No. NA17RJ1226. October 2007 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 i The Natural Resource Publication series addresses natural resource topics that are of interest and applicability to a broad readership in the National Park Service and to others in the management of natural resources, including the scientific community, the public, and the NPS conservation and environmental constituencies. Manuscripts are peer­reviewed to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and is designed and published in a professional manner. The Natural Resources Technical Reports series is used to disseminate the peer­reviewed results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service’s mission. The reports provide contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. Current examples of such reports include the results of research that addresses natural resource management issues; natural resource inventory and monitoring activities; resource assessment reports; scientific literature reviews; and peer reviewed proceedings of technical workshops, conferences, or symposia. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations and data in this report are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Printed copies of reports in these series may be produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is also available from the NPS Water Resources Division website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/HTLN) on the internet, or by sending a request to the address on the back cover. Please cite this publication as: Ault, J.S., S.G. Smith, J.T. Tilmant. 2007. Fishery Management Analysis for Reef Fish in Biscayne National Park: Bag and Size Limit Alternative. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRTR—2007/064. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS D­ 297, October 2007 ii iii Contents Page List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………v List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………. x Introduction……………………………………………………………………….…………1 Alternative Fishery Management Actions Considered……………………….………...3 Methods……………………………………………………………………………………...3 Stock Assessments………………………………………………………………….......3 Creel Survey Length Composition and Catch Rates………………………………...….7 Sustainability Benchmarks…………………………………………….………………..7 Assessment of Management Alternatives……………………………………………...11 Decreased Bag Limits……………………………………………………………...11 Increase in Legal Size Limits………………………………………………………11 Results…………………………………………………………………………………..….11 Sustainability Status of Exploited Coral Reef Fish Stocks in South FL……………….11 . Biscayne Stock Status and Management Alternatives…………………………………11 Black Grouper……………………………………………………………………...17 Current Condition of Stock…………………………………………….............17 Management Alternatives………………………………………………….…..20 Hogfish……………………………………………………………………….…….23 Current Condition of Stock………………………………………………….…23 Management Alternatives………………………………………………….…...23 Red Grouper………………………………………………………………….……..27 Current Condition of Stock………………………………………………..........27 iv Contents (Continued) Management Alternatives………………………………………………………27 Mutton Snapper………………………………………………………………........31 Current Condition of Stock……………………………………………............31 Management Alternatives……………………………………………………..31 Gray Snapper………………………………………………………………………35 Current Condition of Stock………………………………………………........35 Management Alternatives…………………………………………………..…35 Yellowtail Snapper………………………………………………………..………39 Current Condition of Stock……………………………………………...........39 Management Alternatives……………………………………………………. 39 White Grunt……………………………………………………………………….43 Current Condition of Stock……………………………………………............43 Management Alternatives……………………………………………………. 43 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………….. 47 Expected Response Times to Management Actions………………………………….48 Limitations with Reduced Bag or Increased Size Limit Strategies …………….…….49 Concerns for Future Growth in the Fishery…………………………………….……..49 Literature Cited……............................................................................................................50 v Figures Page Figure 1. Growth of: (A) Florida’s human population from 1840­2000; (B) south Florida region human population 1940­2000; and (C) south Florida commercial and recreational fishing fleets from 1964­2004………………………………………………………………….. ..2 Figure 2. Conceptual diagram of the REEFS length­based numerical population simulation model used in the assessment of sustainability benchmarks for reef fishes in Biscayne National Park and the Florida Keys…………………………………………………………………………6 Figure 3. To evaluate fishery sustainability metrics (F) in terms of sustainability benchmarks (YPR, SPR), one must first consider the fish life history in terms of stanzas that operate between birth ( a b ), the age ( a r ) or size ( Lr ) of recruitment to the fishery to the maximum age ( a l ) or size ( Ll ) in the fishery during which natural mortality (M) operates throughout. Fishing mortality (F) occurs with knife­edged selectivity between the minimum size of first capture ( Lc ) and Ll . During that exploited period, total mortality (Z) is the sum of the competing risks of death, i.e., Z = M + F . Animals are reproductive between the size of maturity ( Lm ) and maximum size/age………………………………………………………………………………..8 Figure 4. Relationship of Lbar in the exploited phase and fishing mortality F for hogfish, and the variation in F estimates (dotted horizontal bars) resulting from variation in Lbar (dashed vertical bars). Insets show representative population length frequency compositions at F0, Fmsy, and F2001……………………………………………………………………………………………….9 Figure 5. Theoretical relationship of the fishery sustainability decision metrics spawning potential ratio (SPR) and yield­per­recruit (YPR) to fishing mortality rate (F) for hogfish. Graph shows position of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and Fmsy that are used to compute limit control rules under the precautionary approach to fishery management………………………...10 Figure 6. SPR analysis for exploited reef fishes in the Florida Keys for the period 2000­2002. Dark bars indicate overfished stocks, open bars indicate stocks that are above the 30% SPR standard (blue horizontal line)…………………………………………………………………...12 Figure 7. Plot of F/Fmsy ratio against B/Bmsy ratio for fishes in the snapper­grouper complex in the Florida Keys region for 2002 (blue, groupers; yellow, snappers and wrasses; green, grunts). From Ault et al. (2005b)…………………………………………………………………………12 Figure 8. Demographic and population­dynamic relationships for black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci)…………………………………………………………………………………………...18 vi Figure 9. Process of “juvenescence” of a black grouper population when: (upper panel) lightly exploited; (middle panel) exploited at MSY; and, (lower panel) current exploitation level in the Florida Keys……………………………………………………………………………………...18 Figure 10. Comparison of landings per person (left panels) and size distributions of landings (right panels) for Biscayne National Park creel data for black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) for the periods 1995­1998 (top panels) and 2000­2004 (bottom panels). Vertical dashed line is the current minimum legal harvest size……………………………………………………………...19 Figure 11. Equilibrium contours for yield­per­recruit in kg for black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) obtained from any combination of F and t c . The dashed line joins the maxima of yield­ age of first harvest (i.e., minimum size/age limit) curves (i.e., eumetric line). The stars indicate the current value of F and t c , and the arrow points to the eumetric values……………………..21 Figure 12. Equilibrium contours for spawning potential ratio (SPR)­per­recruit for black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) obtained from any combination of F and t c . The dashed line joins the maxima of SPR­age of first harvest (i.e., minimum size/age limit) curves (i.e., eumetric line). The stars
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