Yellowtail Snapper

NOAA Fisheries, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC), and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (GMFMC) manage the yellowtail snapper fisheries in the United States.

The SAFMC began managing yellowtail snapper in 1984 with the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The FMP covers over 70 different species and has been amended numerous times to account for changes in the fishery. Among the management measures are:

• A limited entry program;
• Minimum size limits (12 inches for yellowtail snapper);
• Annual catch limits (for both the commercial and recreational fisheries) and trip limits; and,
• Gear restrictions.

Amongst the gear restrictions includes a ban on bottom longline gear in depths of less than 300 feet that has been in place since 1991. As of 2007 marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established to help deep-water species rebuild from overfishing and to protect important habitat.

The GMFMC has been managing yellowtail snapper since 1983 as part of its Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan. Over 30 different species are managed along with yellowtail snapper under this plan, notably red and vermillion snapper. Much of the FMP and its subsequent amendments focus on management measures for red snapper. However, many of these measures benefit both yellowtail and vermillion snapper. Amongst management measures included in the FMP are:

• A limited entry program;
• Gear restrictions;
• Minimum size limits (12 inches for yellowtail snapper);
• Area and seasonal closures and the establishment of artificial reefs; and,
• Annual catch limits (for both the commercial and recreational fisheries) as well as individual fishing quotas.

Other measures include mandatory trip reporting, vessel monitoring systems, and observer coverage.

Overall, yellowtail snapper in both the US Atlantic and the US Gulf of Mexico have maintained healthy biomass levels. While the SAFMC and GMFMC manage yellowtail snapper separately, these regions are combined for stock assessment purposes. According to the most recent stock assessment in 2012, yellowtail snapper are not overfished nor experiencing overfishing.  

There is no species-specific management plan for yellowtail snapper in Brazil as there are no size restrictions, catch limits, seasonal and area closures, or other spatial management strategies in place. There are some reefs inside Marine Protected Areas that are under no-take or multiple-use regimes; however, these areas account for a very small percentage of Brazil’s entire exclusive economic zone and are therefore limited in their ability to reverse declines in snapper and other reef fish abundance.

The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) is the government body in Mexico that, amongst its other responsibilities, promotes the execution of policies to improve the production of Mexican fisheries. The National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission (CONAPESCA) is a branch of SAGARPA that is in charge of developing and implementing management regulations. The National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA) is the technical branch of SAGARPA that provides support and management recommendations. There is currently no management plan is in place for the snapper fishery. The current stock status is unknown, but it is widely considered to be in decline and it is likely the fishery is having negative impacts on both target and non-target species. There are no seasonal and spatial regulations to protect the species and there are no official minimum size limits. Snapper are considered to be an associated species in the management plan for red grouper, yet there are no specific regulations in the plan for snapper other than a fishery permit limit and restrictions on hook sizes that apply to the entire fishery as a whole.