. . . Southeast Drum and Croaker Fisheries 



48 



Figure 9-1.— U.S. drum and 

 groundfish landings From 

 southeastern U.S. coastal waters 

 and the red drum recruitment 

 index for the Gulf of Mexico, 

 1970-90. 



ISSUES 



Efficient and economical means of reduc- 

 ing the bycatch of finfish in the shrimp 

 fishery need to be developed. Large num- 

 bers of Atlantic croakers, spot, and sand 

 and silver seatrout are also caught and 

 killed in the shrimp fishery. Estimates of 

 the 1972-89 bycatch in the Gulfs offshore 



shrimp fishery averaged about 500 million 

 spot, 1 billion seatrout, and 7.5 billion 

 croaker. These species constitute the bulk 

 of the offshore bycatch of finfish which 

 averaged about 175,000 t during the 

 1980's. 



