242
Y. Sadovy de Mitcheson and B. Erisman
brown-marbled grouper, E. fuscoguttatus, camoufl age grouper, E. polyphekadion ,
bluespine unicornfi sh, Naso unicornis, twin-spot snapper, Lutjanus bohar, and longface emperor, Lethrinus olivaceus , long used for subsistence, have declined over the
last decade or so according to fi sher perceptions (Johannes 1981 ; Sadovy 2007 ) .
8.2.2 Recreational and Sport Fisheries
Recreational fi shing on spawning aggregations and migrations in tropical and
subtropical coastal species is attracting management attention because of associated
high economic value and growing popularity. Examples come from Australia, the
Pacifi c and Indian Oceans, and the Caribbean. Some of the fi shes involved are
considered good eating fi sh, like seabreams (Sparidae) and croakers (Sciaenidae),
while others, such as tarpon or bonefi sh, are mostly valued for their sport appeal and
fi ghting ability. Recreational fi shing tends to involve selective gears such as hook
and line and speargun and may involve tag (or capture) and release.
Relatively well-studied coastal recreational fi sheries occur in Australia and the
USA. In western Australia, there is high recreational interest in the silver seabream
(snapper or silver bream) (Sparidae; Pagrus auratus = Chrysophrys aurata , Chap.
12.12 ), mulloway and black jewfi sh (Sciaenidae: Argyrosomus hololepidotus and
Protonibea diacanthus ), and in dhufi sh (Glaucosomatidae: Glaucosoma hebraicum ),
among other species, much of it involving catch and release. In Shark Bay, for example, a major recreational fi shery on the silver seabream occurs in winter, when sea
conditions are most conducive to fi shing from small boats and the fi sh aggregate to
spawn. By the mid-1990s, there was serious concern that recreational catches for this
species had reached unsustainable levels, largely due to aggregation-fi shing (Marshall
and Moore 2000 ) . In 2003, a total allowable catch, and other management measures,
was agreed for each snapper stock, an unusual situation for such a small and mostly
recreational fi shery in Australia (Chap. 12.12 ). The black jewfi sh in Australia’s
Northern Territory is also taken by several fi shing sectors but predominantly by recreational fi shermen with heavy targeting of aggregations (Phelan et al. 2008 ) .
Dhufi sh and mulloway are highly regarded recreationally but long-lived and fi shed on
aggregations with concerns about overfi shing for both species (Mackie et al. 2009 ) .
In parts of the Caribbean and SE USA, tarpon, Megalops atlanticus , is highly
valued recreationally and taken in large numbers during pre- or post-spawning
migrations. The fi sheries are now heavily regulated because of marked declines
noted in the past from overfi shing and loss of habitat, with commercial take no longer permitted in Florida. Nowadays, the tarpon fi shery in the region is largely one of
tag and release ( http://www.tarbone.org/about-btt/then-and-now.html ) and among
the most lucrative fi sheries in the state of Florida.
Recreational fi sheries that involve aggregating species occur in many parts of the
Pacifi c. In Kiribati, for example, bonefi sh, Albula vulpes , is taken for subsistence
(see above) and, since the early 1980s, as part of a high-value fi shery. For many
years, its spawning migrations were subjected to fi shing, but due to strong support
from the tourism sector and interest in long-term sustainability, fi shing is now
Y. Sadovy de Mitcheson and B. Erisman
brown-marbled grouper, E. fuscoguttatus, camoufl age grouper, E. polyphekadion ,
bluespine unicornfi sh, Naso unicornis, twin-spot snapper, Lutjanus bohar, and longface emperor, Lethrinus olivaceus , long used for subsistence, have declined over the
last decade or so according to fi sher perceptions (Johannes 1981 ; Sadovy 2007 ) .
8.2.2 Recreational and Sport Fisheries
Recreational fi shing on spawning aggregations and migrations in tropical and
subtropical coastal species is attracting management attention because of associated
high economic value and growing popularity. Examples come from Australia, the
Pacifi c and Indian Oceans, and the Caribbean. Some of the fi shes involved are
considered good eating fi sh, like seabreams (Sparidae) and croakers (Sciaenidae),
while others, such as tarpon or bonefi sh, are mostly valued for their sport appeal and
fi ghting ability. Recreational fi shing tends to involve selective gears such as hook
and line and speargun and may involve tag (or capture) and release.
Relatively well-studied coastal recreational fi sheries occur in Australia and the
USA. In western Australia, there is high recreational interest in the silver seabream
(snapper or silver bream) (Sparidae; Pagrus auratus = Chrysophrys aurata , Chap.
12.12 ), mulloway and black jewfi sh (Sciaenidae: Argyrosomus hololepidotus and
Protonibea diacanthus ), and in dhufi sh (Glaucosomatidae: Glaucosoma hebraicum ),
among other species, much of it involving catch and release. In Shark Bay, for example, a major recreational fi shery on the silver seabream occurs in winter, when sea
conditions are most conducive to fi shing from small boats and the fi sh aggregate to
spawn. By the mid-1990s, there was serious concern that recreational catches for this
species had reached unsustainable levels, largely due to aggregation-fi shing (Marshall
and Moore 2000 ) . In 2003, a total allowable catch, and other management measures,
was agreed for each snapper stock, an unusual situation for such a small and mostly
recreational fi shery in Australia (Chap. 12.12 ). The black jewfi sh in Australia’s
Northern Territory is also taken by several fi shing sectors but predominantly by recreational fi shermen with heavy targeting of aggregations (Phelan et al. 2008 ) .
Dhufi sh and mulloway are highly regarded recreationally but long-lived and fi shed on
aggregations with concerns about overfi shing for both species (Mackie et al. 2009 ) .
In parts of the Caribbean and SE USA, tarpon, Megalops atlanticus , is highly
valued recreationally and taken in large numbers during pre- or post-spawning
migrations. The fi sheries are now heavily regulated because of marked declines
noted in the past from overfi shing and loss of habitat, with commercial take no longer permitted in Florida. Nowadays, the tarpon fi shery in the region is largely one of
tag and release ( http://www.tarbone.org/about-btt/then-and-now.html ) and among
the most lucrative fi sheries in the state of Florida.
Recreational fi sheries that involve aggregating species occur in many parts of the
Pacifi c. In Kiribati, for example, bonefi sh, Albula vulpes , is taken for subsistence
(see above) and, since the early 1980s, as part of a high-value fi shery. For many
years, its spawning migrations were subjected to fi shing, but due to strong support
from the tourism sector and interest in long-term sustainability, fi shing is now