Caribbean

Fishing Issues

Fish on the Caribbean reef have been declining at a rate of about 5% a year for the last decade, according to a study by an international team of researchers.¹

Overfishing is the most likely cause for the loss of the Caribbean’s large predator fish, such as Nassau grouper,² and is linked to the decline of the coral reef.³

Snapper, grouper, conch and parrotfish are all being fished too fast to ensure their survival, and without some rule changes, fishermen eventually will run out of fish to catch.

Currently there are no rules that limit the numbers or size of snappers, groupers or parrotfish that fishermen can catch. As a result, these fish populations have suffered from decades of high fishing rates. Congress changed the nation’s fisheries law in 2007 to mandate a quick end to overfishing. The law says fishery managers must set limits on numbers of fish caught annually based on sound scientific research.

¹ Paddack et al. Recent Region-wide Declines in Caribbean Reef Fish Abundance. Current Biology, 2009; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.02.041
² Ibid.
³ Mumby, Peter et. al., Thresholds and the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. Nature 450, 98-101 (1 November 2007)