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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.

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Abundance

8/6/2019 Pew Gag Grouper 051911

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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 smcbreen@pewtrusts.org or321-800-6313 to sign up or fsh news or join our cause. For inormation,contact project leader Holly Binns at fshino@PewTrusts.org 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

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Jason Ar