Fisheries Assessment: Final Report to DERM

A comprehensive study of the fisheries resources of Biscayne Bay was initiated in December, 1981. The overall goal of the project was to obtain baseline fishery resource data for the Bay and to develop recommendations for cost effective management procedures if needed. Specific objectives were: 1. To describe and quantify the commercial and recreational fishing activities in Biscayne Bay. 2. To determine yields (harvest) by area, habitat type and season for the important commercial and recreational species, both vertebrate and invertebrate. 3. To determine baseline biological data including mean lengths and weights, size frequency distributions, sex ratios and spawning seasons for important recreational and commercial species in Biscayne Bay. 4. To define and identify major habitat types and their associated biota, and determine the areas, habitats and environmental parameters with which the important recreational and commercial species are associated. 5. To isolate the environmental parameters critical for particular species and determine the types of human activity associated with changes in these parameters. 6. To determine areas of particular concern and make recommendations on how to maintain or improve the ability of the Bay to support its fisheries resources. 7. To assess populations of macro-invertebrates of recreational and commercial importance in North Biscayne Bay. To accomplish these objectives four relatively distinct monitoring & and sampling programs were begun: 1. Creel census sampling program 2. Juvenile fish and habitat survey 3. Commercial fishing harvest monitoring 4. North Biscayne Bay recreational and commercial macro-invertebrate Assessment. Management of Biscayne Bay fisheries involves primarily: 1. Habitat and water quality protection and management and 2. Resource allocation among user groups. This study was designed to provide information necessary to maximize the ability of the Bay to support its diverse fisheries resources through habitat and water quality management. Resource allocation among user groups is not primarily a biological question and this study was not designed to address this issue. Nonetheless, some guidelines can be gleaned from the data. The flow diagram below summarizes the rationale of the research design as well as indicating how the fisheries project interacts with other components of the overall program. Specific tasks as described in the contract were: 1. Design creel census sampling program 2. Build and test sampling gear 3. Monitor commercial and recreational fisheries in Biscayne Bay 4. Survey for and establish macro-invertebrate and juvenile fish sampling stations in South Biscayne Bay 5· Macro-invertebrate and juvenile fish assessment in South Biscayne Bay 6. Survey for and establish macro-invertebrate and juvenile fish sampling stations in North Biscayne Bay 7. Macro-invertebrate and juvenile fish assessment in North Biscayne Bay 8. Determine yields 9. Literature search (Appendix 8) 10. Prepare reference collection (Appendix 9) 11. Data analysis, final report, recommendations 12. Conduct tri-monthly aerial surveillance of Biscayne Bay.