• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Red drum
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.513.8705; http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/fish510/pdf/science on line rec fishing.pdf

We evaluate the commercial and recreational fishery landings over the past 22 years, first at the national level, second for populations of concern (those that are overfished or experiencing overfishing), and finally by region. Recreational landings in 2002 account for 4 % of total marine fish landed in the USA. With large industrial fisheries excluded (e.g., menhaden and pollock), the recreational component rises to 10%. Among populations of concern, recreational landings in 2002 account for 23% of the total nationwide, rising to 38 % in the South Atlantic and 64 % in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, it affects many of the most valued overfished species, including red drum, bocaccio, and red snapper, all of which are taken primarily in the recreational fishery. Many of the ecological and political problems associated with