APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
Catches in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico by Texas 
fishermen have declined since 1965 by about 50 percent. 
Texas fishermen suggest that the shrimpers' increased trawl- 
ing speed and more efficient trawls are capturing more 
young snappers than in the past. They believe that discard- 
ing these young snappers was the cause of the decline in the 
snapper fishery. Similar comments were reported by Florida 
fishermen in 1963. The total snapper catch for the Gulf 
of Mexico off the United States has remained relatively 
steady since 1961, but catches per vessel have decreased. 
A recent study by the State of Texas of the red snapper 
fishery in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico for the 1970-74 
period found that the catch per effort and total effort by 
commercial fishermen have declined, while sport fishing 
for the species has increased. Shrimp fishermen marketed 
the larger snappers captured in trawls and discarded the 
smaller ones. Pressures applied to the fishery have adverse- 
ly affected commercial landings on the Texas coast. 
Definitive assessment of this fishery's stock and/or 
potential yield is not possible with the available data. 
Harvesting capabilities 
The capabilities have existed to harvest the crops 
close in, but as harvest areas began to move farther from 
the coastline and quantity of harvest per craft decreased 
fishermen were caught in the squeeze between costs and 
GecuEN'S 
The capability to harvest is assumed to exist but 
limited by economic costs and returns constraints. The 
effort to harvest this fishery will be directly related to 
the level of exvessel price. 
Fishermen on relatively small boats, who fish from 50 
to 100 miles offshore, reported a decline in average size of 
the fish from about 3 pounds 5 years ago to less than 3 
pounds currently. Distant water fishermen said that the 
average size of the fish is thought to have declined from 
about 5 pounds to about 2 to 3 pounds currently. Party boat 
Owners indicate the same trend and feel that the dockside 
value of the average catch is less than sport fishermen's 
cost. In addition to the smaller size of the individual fish, 
boat captains state that longer fishing days and more trips 
are necessary to catch the same amount. 
A fisherman in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico off the 
Texas coast stated that searching for fish took 95 percent of 
the time, whereas actual fishing time was about 5 percent. 
105 
