APPENDIX III APPENDIX IIT 
catch was groupers, 41 million pounds; yellowtail snapper, 
21 million; red snapper, 17.3 million; with the remainder 
being other kinds of snapper. These data indicate that, 
while red snapper make up the largest part of the commercial 
catch, grouper and yellowtail snapper are important to the 
sport fisherman. Although these estimates contain unmeasured 
sampling and response errors, the magnitude of importance 
of the recreational catch cannot be ignored. Premium com- 
mercial prices paid for red snapper and accessibility to 
yellowtail snapper and grouper fishing areas are primary rea- 
sons for the catch differences between the commercial and 
recreational grouper-snapper fishery. 
Recreational fishermen and their craft have increased 
in numbers in the last two decades. In 1973, 986,000 pri- 
vate and commercially operated recreational craft, more 
than 16 feet in length, fished in the salt waters of the 
South Atlantic and Gulf States. In the gulf, snappers and 
groupers were among the primary species sought by the oper- 
ators of these craft. 
Management controls 
The snapper-grouper fishery is not a regulated or 
Managed fishery. We were told that no specific State regu- 
lations are known which apply directly to this fishery. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability 
The snapper-grouper fishery is considered under inten- 
Sive use. Little information is available on the life 
history and population dynamics of this fishery. No MSY 
estimates have been made. 
In 1968 the latent fishery resource for the Gulf of 
Mexico was estimated at about 1 billion pounds. 
Using the 1968 data and FAO data published in 1971, we 
extrapolated a resource level of about 250,000 million 
pounds for the Gulf of Mexico. 
Harvesting capability 
The capability of the industry seems to be flexible, 
but difficult to assess. The overall trend in the size of 
the fishing fleet (i.e., numbers of vessels and boats) has 
been one of decline since the middle and late 1950s. 
103 
