Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico.

This Fishery Management Plan (FMP) concerns management of the reef fish fishery in the U.S. fishery conservation zone under the Jurisdiction of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council , under provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, is responsible for management of species within its geographical area of authority: approximately 264 thousand square miles in total with a continental shelf that ranges in width from about 12 miles off the Mississippi River to almost 200 miles off west Florida. To manage a given species (or groups of species), the Council must first develop a Federal Management Plan (FMP) and submit it to the Secretary of Commerce for approval. The goal identified in the Plan is “ to manage the reef fish fishery of the United States waters of the Gulf of Mexico to attain the greatest overall benefit to the Nation with particular reference to food production and recreational opportunities on the basis of maximum sustainable yield as modified by relevant economic, social or ecological factors". The basic objective of this FMP are to manage these stocks for their optimum yield to domestic user groups. Specific objectives are to: (1) rebuild declining reef fish stocks wherever they occur within the fishery, (2) establish a fishery reporting system for monitoring the reef fish fishery, (3) conserve and increase habitat tor reef fish to increase reef fish populations and provide protection for juveniles, and (4) minimize conflicts between user groups of the resource and conflicts for space. While encompassing a large number of species (currently 42 reef fish species), the majority of the Council’s reef fish management activities have concerned red snapper. The fishery, which is targeted by both commercial and recreational fishermen, is now known to be heavily overfished and evidence of a decline in adult population was documented as early as 1979 at which time the fishery was primarily supported by younger fish of ages one to three (RFMP Amendment 1). The overfished status of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock is the result not only of an excessive amount of effort but also a high level of bycatch mortality associated with shrimp fishing.
The Plan, among other things: describes the fisheries and its environment (including fish habitat); regulates the relationship of the FMP with national standards and legislation; sts out Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and Optimum Yield (OY) for species; introduces various fisheries management measures; concerns monitoring and enforcement. Management measures regard, among other things: stressed areas; gear restrictions; maximum allowable catch; in-season adjustment; recreational fishing. The FMP also provides for protection of coral reefs.