THE OYSTER FISHERY OF THE GOLF OF MEXICO, UNITED STATES: A Regional Management Plan GOLF STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION March 1991 No.24 THE OYSTER FISHERY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO# UNITED STATES: A REGIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN by Mark Berrigan Tommy Candies John Cirino Ronald Dugas Christopher Dyer Joseph Gray Tom Herrington Walter Keithly Richard Leard John Ray Nelson Mark Van Hoose published by Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission P .0. Box 726 Ocean Springs# Mississippi 39564 March 1991 Number 24 This study was supported in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service under Cooperative Agreements NA89WC-D-IJ074 (2-IJ-8-2) and NA90AA-D-IJ202 (2-IJ-8-3). GULF STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION I nterjurisdictional Fisheries Management Program Oyster Technical Task Force Mr. John Cirino, Chairman Dr. Walter R. Keithly Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Coastal Fisheries Institute Fisheries and Parks Louisiana State University Bureau of Marine Resources Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 2620 Beach Boulevard Biloxi, Mississippi 39531 Mr. John Ray Nelson Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc. Mr. Mark E. Berrigan P.O. Box 60 Florida Department of Natural Resources Bon Secour, Alabama 36511 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard Mr. Tom Herrington Tallahassee, Florida 32399 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Major Tommy Candies Southeast Region Louisiana Department of Wildlife and 60 Eighth Street, N. E. Fisheries Atlanta, Georgia 30309 P.O. Box 98000 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70898-9000 Mr. Joseph D. Gray Texas Parks and Wildlife Mr. Ronald Dugas Department Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Fisheries Research Station 400 Royal Street Star Route Box 385 New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Palacios, Texas 77465 Dr. Christopher Dyer Mr. Mark S. Van Hoose University of South Alabama Alabama Department of Department of Sociology and Anthropology Conservation and Natural BMSB Room #8 Resources Mobile, Alabama 36688 P .0. Box 189 Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528 Staff Mr. Larry B. Simpson Executive Director Dr. Richard L. Leard Mrs. Cynthia B. Dickens IJF Program Coordinator IJF Staff Assistant ii Acknowledgements The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission ( GSMFC) would like to thank the Oyster Technical Task Force ( TTF) for their many hours of work and dedication in developing this oyster fisheries management plan ( FMP). Grateful acknowledgement goes to Thomas Siewicki of the National Marine Fisheries Service ( NMFS) who acted as liaison to the TTF, and to the NMFS staff who provided the necessary data to complete the FMP, especially Ernie Snell, Guy Davenport and others at the Southeast Fisheries Center. Special thanks are also extended to the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for providing technical services and support for TTF member Tom Herrington and for providing necessary data regarding public health. The TTF would also like to thank Richard L. Benefield, Seabrook Marine Laboratory, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Dr. Sammy Ray, Texas A&M University for their contributions and assistance. Mr. Gerald Adkins, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Dr. Ed Cake, Jr., are acknowledged for their review and input to the document. The GSMFC Law Enforcement Committee are gratefully acknowledged for their assistance throughout the development of the FMP. The TTF would like to extend most heartfelt thanks to Cindy Dickens for her skills and dedication in developing the high quality of this document and to Lucia Hourihan for her invaluable contributions to the review, production and publication of the FMP. iii Preface The GSMFC was established by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Compact under Public Law 81-66 approved May 19, 1949. Its charge was to promote better management and utilization of marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico. The Commission is composed of three members from each of the five Gulf States. The head of the marine resource agency of each state is an ex officio member. The second is a member of the legislature. The third is a citizen with knowledge of and interest in marine fisheries and is appointed by the governor. The offices of the chairman and vice chairman are rotated annually from state to state. The Commission is empowered to recommend to the governor and legislature of the respective states action on programs helpful to the management of the fishery. However, the states do not relinquish any of their rights or responsibilities in regulating their own fisheries by being members of the Commission. One of the most important functions of the GSMFC is to serve as a forum for discussion of various problems and needs of marine management authorities, commercial and recreational industries, researchers and others. The GSMFC also plays a key role in implementation of the lnterjurisdictional Fisheries ( IJF) Act. The I nterjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 (Title 111, Public Law 99-659) was established by Congress to: ( 1) promote and encourage state activities in support of the management of interjurisdictional fishery resources; and ( 2) promote and encourage management of interjurisdictional fishery resources throughout their range. Congress also authorized federal funding to support state research and management projects that were consistent with these purposes. Additional funds were authorized to support development of interstate fishery management plans (FMPs) by the GSMFC and other marine fishery commissions. After passage of the act, the GSMFC initiated development of a FMP planning and approval process. The Commission decided to pattern its plans after those of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (Magnuson Act). This decision ensured compatibility in format and approach to management among states, federal agencies and the c-?uncil. The GSMFC established a process whereby each plan was to be developed by a technical task force ( TTF) of experts from each state and appointed by the respective state's commission representative of the regulatory agency. The Commission also provided for a member of the TTF from each of the standing committees of the GSMFC (Commercial Fisheries Advisory, Law Enforcement and Recreational Fisheries Advisory) to be appointed by the respective committee. In addition, the Commission provided for members of the TTF from federal agencies, academic institutions and other organizations where such expertise was needed. iv Once developed, the Commission established a review and approval process as follows: 1 TTF 7 TCC 7 S-FFMC 7 GSMFC i Outside Review (standing committees, trade associations, general public) Once approved by the GSMFC, plans are recommended to the individual states for consideration of adoption and implementation. 1 TTF = Technical Task Force TCC = Technical Coordinating Committee S-FFMC = State-Federal Fisheries Management Committee GSMFC = Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 TITLE PAGE •••.•.•.••...••...•....••••••..••••••••••.•••.•••••••.••••..•••..••••••.•..••••••••••..••• i lnterjurisdictional Fisheries Program Oyster Technical Task Force and Staff •.•••.•.•••••..••.••.•••. ii Acknow 1edgements .•••..•••••.•..•••.••••..•.••.•••.••••.••..•••••.••.••.••••••••.••••••.••••.•••••••• iii Preface •..•••••••...•.••••.•••...•.•.•••.•••••.••••••..•••••.•••••..•••.•••..•••.•••••••••••• ···•••· iv 2.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................. 2-1 List of Figures ...•..•••...•.•••...•••.•••.•.••••.••••.•..•.•.••.••••.•.••••.••..••••..••.•..•••••.. 2-7 List of Tables ••.••....••..•••..••.•..•..•.••.••.....•.•••••••.....••.••••..•••...•••..•.••.•.•.••.. 2-8 3. 0 SUMMARY •••••••••..•.•..•••..••.••••.••••.•.•....••...••••.••••.•.•••...••.•••.••...•••..•••...••.... 3-1 4. 0 INTRODUCTION ••...••..•....•••...••••••..••.••.•••••...•...••••.•••••.••••.••.•....•.•.•••.•..•••.... 4-1 4.1 Oyster Technical Task Force Members •.•.••••...••...••••.•••..•..•..••••....•....•••...•.••..•••• 4-1 4.2 GSMFC lnterjurisdictional Fisheries Program Staff ••••••••••.••••.••••••..•••...••...•.•.....•... 4-1 4.3 Authorship and Support for Plan Development .•••...•••.••••.•.••.•.•••.•••••...•••....••....••..• 4-1 4.4 Objectives •••..••...••••.••..••••..•••.••••••.•....•••..••••.•.•••.••••.••••.•...••••.•.....••.• 4-2 5.0 DESCRIPTION OF STOCKS COMPRISING THE MANAGEMENT UNIT (MU) AND DESCRIPTION OF THE HABITAT •..•••...••• 5-1 5. 1 Biological Description and Geographic Distribution .••.••.••••...•.••••••..••.••.•••••...•••....• 5-1 5.1.1 Classification and Morphology ............................................................ 5-1 5.1.2 Life History •.••••.•.•••••••••••....••..••.....••••••••...•.•...••••.••••..•.••.•..••••••. 5-1 5.1.2.1 Reproduction ..................................................................... 5-1 5.1.2.2 Spawning ..••••.••.•••••...•...•••....•••..••...••..•.••.•...•.••...••••..••.••.••• 5-3 5.1.2.3 Larval Development •••.••••••••••.....•..•••.••••••••••••••••••.•••••.•..••....•••• 5-4 5.1.2.4 Setting and Growth •..••••.•••..•......•••.••••....•••.•..•.•••••..••.••••.••••.•.• 5-6 5.1.3 Distribution and Abundance of Stocks •••..••••.•••••••••••.•••••••••.•...•.••.•••••..••••.• 5-7 5. 1.3.1 Geographic Range ••.•••••••••.•••••.•.•••..••••••••.•.••••••.•••••.•••••...•••••.•• 5-7 5. 1.3.2 Spacial Distribution and Movement of Larvae •...•••••.•••••.••.•....•••.••••••...•• 5-7 5. 1.3.3 Abundance •..•••.•••••••••.•••.•.•••...•••••••••••.•.••••.••••..•••••••.•••••.••••.