APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
an estimated 62.8 million pounds, compared to the commercial 
foodfish catch of 5.7 million pounds and the industrial 
groundfish catch of 102.2 million pounds. 
Management controls 
There is no overall management scheme for the Gulf of 
Mexico croaker fisheries. There are no Federal or State 
regulations specifically concerning croaker fisheries in the 
Gulf. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability 
Croaker has one of the highest potentials among gulf 
fisheries for expansion and development and is currently 
vastly underused in terms of potential yield. Estimates of 
potential annual yield exceed 500 million pounds. Current 
landings are being taken from grounds that comprise less 
than 10 percent of the area over which the fish is distrib- 
weed? 
Harvesting capability 
Harvesting capability in the Gulf of Mexico is more 
than adequate to satisfy the current market demands. Indus- 
trial groundfish fishermen are frequently assigned quotas by 
processors to limit their catches to match production re- 
quirements. 
Additional opportunities for increasing the harvest ex- 
ist if cost-effective methods are developed for sorting and 
storing croakers and other discarded species caught inci- 
dental to trawling for shrimp and foodfish croaker and for 
separating and storing the larger croaker caught incident- 
ally in the industrial groundfish fishery. 
Product development and processing 
Additional product development could provide expanded 
markets for croaker foodfish. No technological breakthrough 
is required to produce the new products. Minced croaker 
flesh mixed with minced shrimp was once marketed in a frozen 
breaded form. According to manufacturers, most minced fish 
can be pressed into large fish blocks, which can be processed 
into a variety of possible items. 
ATT 
