The National Marine Fisheries Service shrimp research programme in the Gulf of Mexico.
Résumé
The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 extended U.S. jurisdiction from the coastline out to 200 mi and provided authority to manage coastal fishery resources within this zone. Conservation and management of the fishery resources as defined by the Act are based on the best scientific information available. In this paper, the status of the scientific information for U.S. shrimp management in the Gulf of Mexico is reviewed and evaluated. The current Shrimp Research Programme is based upon management needs and is described in terms of goals, objectives and the current programme. The programme is aimed at documenting the geographical boundaries of the shrimp resources, developing surplus production models, developing models which predict potential yield under various levels of fishing, and developing a quantitative model which will estimate current surplus production. Extensive mark and recapture experiments are being conducted in the western portion of the Gulf of Mexico on both white and brown shrimp to obtain information on growth, mortality and migration. Experimental results on growth and migration are described.