Fishery harvest and population dynamics of the common snook, (Centropomus undecimalis) from Florida Bay and adjacent waters [DRAFT]
Tilmant JT, Rutherford ES, Thue EB. 1989. Fishery harvest and population dynamics of the common snook, (Centropomus undecimalis) from Florida Bay and adjacent waters [DRAFT]. Bulletin of Marine Science. 44(1)
The fishery harvest monitoring program of Everglades National Park has provided a record of the recreational snook fishery catch and effort from 1958 to present. Length data are available on harvested fish since 1974. Although this species has comprised less than one percent of the fishery harvest, it has been sought by as many 15 percent of the total fishing boats during a given year. A marked decline, noted in the annual number of boats successfully catching snook from 1974 to 1984, was due to a decline in the percent of boats successful for this species and the total number of boats within the park. Since 1982 an annual increase in the number of boats reporting snook catches has increased. The size distribution of fish harvested during 1983-84 suggests a recruitment of large numbers of young fish occurred those years. A discussion of an increase in annual harvest is presented. The data obtained indicate that bag limits, minimum size limits, and closed seasons have not resulted in a reduced annual harvest, however this may be due to unusually good recruitment years in 1983-84 as a result of the preceding high rainfall years in 1982-83 which may enhance larval and/or juvenile snook survival by increased upland runoff or marsh flooding.-Adapted from authors' abstract.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Tilmant, James; Rutherford, Edward; Thue, Edith
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Everglades National Park, Fishing, FL, Florida Bay, Impacts, Population Dynamics, Size, snook (Centropomus undecimalis)