Incorporating Expertise from the Recreational Fishery to Determine Discard Mortality Estimates for Gray Snapper in a West-Central Florida Estuary and Adjacent Nearshore Gulf of Mexico Waters

Gray Snapper Lutjanus griseus are fished extensively by recreational anglers along Florida’s Gulf coast in nearshore reef habitats and inshore estuarine habitats. Although a detailed fishery assessment has not been conducted on Gray Snapper, there is a need for discard mortality estimates due to the large number of individuals captured by the recreational fishery. During a two-year cooperative research project, recreational anglers and professional fishing guides were recruited for their expertise and to assist biologists during monthly fishing trips and discard mortality experiments. More than 40 volunteer anglers contributed over 600 hours, and 150 fisherman responded to a survey designed to determine angler expertise and fishing habits.  During short-term (48-hr) discard mortality experiments, 247 Gray Snapper were caught and 17 of these fish died, for an overall mortality rate of 6.9%. Results indicate that discard mortality of Gray Snapper is lower inshore (2/143; 1.4%) than nearshore (15/104; 14.4%). The water depth in which the fish were captured and anatomical location of the hook significantly influenced the probability of mortality, but angler experience did not. The participation of the fishing community in this project was instrumental in its success, from incorporating prevalent hook-and-line techniques to encouraging trust between scientists and stakeholders.