586 



Fishery Bulletin 104(4) 



800 



D Commercial 



Headboat 

 D Recreational 



200 



1984 1988 



Year 



Figure 1 



Landings lin metric tons) of red porgy iPagrus pagriis) off the coast 

 of the southeastern United States for the commercial, recreational, 

 and headboat fishery sectors from 1972 through 2001. 



Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and 

 eastern Florida (SAFMC). However, red 

 porgy abundance continued to decrease 

 (Vaughan and Prager, 2002), such that an 

 emergency moratorium was put into place 

 (Table 1) prohibiting the harvesting of red 

 porgy by all fishery sectors. Following de- 

 bate on the actual severity of the popula- 

 tion decline and uncertainty surrounding 

 the stock assessment, the moratorium was 

 relaxed a year later to a seasonal closure, 

 a recreational bag limit, and a commercial 

 bycatch allowance (Table 1; SAFMC-). A 

 recent stock assessment (Fig. 2; SAFMC-^) 

 identified this red porgy stock as having 

 low biomass, but not as being currently 

 overharvested. The strict harvest regula- 

 tions applied to red porgy led to SAFMC 

 concerns regarding the ability of scientists 

 to accurately assess a population under a 

 moratorium when fishery-dependent data 

 are unavailable. 



' SAFMC (South Atlantic Fishery Management 

 Council). 1991. Final, amendment number 

 4, regulatory impact review, initial regula- 

 tory flexibility analysis and environmental 

 assessment for the fishery management plan 

 for the snapper grouper fishery of the South 

 Atlantic region, 99 p. + appendices. South 

 Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, One 

 Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 

 29407. 



- SAFMC (South Atlantic Fishery Manage- 

 ment Council). 2000. Final, amendment 

 number 12 to the fishery management plan 

 for the snapper grouper fishery of the South 

 Atlantic region. 159 p. + appendices. South 

 Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 

 Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 

 29407. 



3 SAFMC (South Atlantic Fishery Management 

 Council). 2002. Southeast Data, Assess- 

 ment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment 

 for red porgy, 39 p. South Atlantic Fishery 

 Management Council, One Southpark Circle, 

 Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407. 



Table 1 



History of fishing regulations for red porgy iPagrus pagrus) applied to both commercial and recreational fisheries, unless other- 

 wise specified. 



