Evaluation of Fish Tags as an Attenuated Rights-Based Management Approach for Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries

摘要

Recreational fishing represents a popular and highly valued use of marine resources, with participation by a large percentage of the U.S. population. Nonetheless, many recreational fisheries, including a number of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) recreational reef fish complex, show trends towards shorter seasons, smaller bag limits and more restrictive size limits. Such trends, particularly when associated with failures to maintain harvest at sustainable levels, can significantly reduce the economic benefits of fishing realized by anglers, and anglers expenditures (and associated economic impacts) in coastal communities. Catch-and-release activity associated with such restrictions can also imply significant release mortality, further threatening sustainability and long-term benefits. Finally, the tendency to impose homogeneous management methods over large spatial scales, paired with often heterogeneous local and nonlocal angler populations, can lead to angler dissatisfaction and further loss of economic value. The purpose of this report is to explore issues related to the potential adaptation of rights-based harvest tags to the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery, with an emphasis on red snapper and shallow-water grouper. This includes analysis of the key management features and characteristics of harvest tag mechanisms, a review of status and trends in Gulf of Mexico recreational reef fish fisheries, and a review of existing harvest tag programs in both recreational hunting and fishing applications in the US and worldwide. Based on this information, the paper discusses both opportunities and challenges associated with the potential application of harvest tags to the recreational reef fish fishery.