Red Tide Fish Kills in Gulf of Mexico Show Need to Improve Fisheries Planning

Florida’s ongoing red tide algae blooms have caused widespread fish kills that could temporarily and significantly harm the health of some fish populations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Federal fishery managers have limited tools with which to respond to this and other environmental stressors in the region. But this month, members of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which governs fishing in federal waters of the gulf, will learn how to prepare for red tides, oil spills, and other environmental factors that could affect species. At the council’s regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 22-25 in Mobile, Ala., staff member Morgan Kilgour, Ph.D., will discuss how the council can expand its consideration of the ecosystem when responding to harmful events and longer-term changes in environmental conditions.

Fishery ecosystem plans are written guides that detail how the latest science should guide decision-making in fisheries management and lead to rules and actions that promote sustainable fishing, a growing coastal economy, and healthy ecosystems. The plans, typically crafted with public input, can be part descriptive and part prescriptive and tailored to regional needs.

In the case of red tide, a plan could call for managers to use data from past outbreaks to rapidly assess severity and take steps to respond. For example, if an algae bloom is killing large numbers of fish, the ecosystem plan could direct managers to temporarily limit or halt fishing in areas that are most affected. Such measures would help prevent the catching of an unsustainable amount of fish at a time when environmental factors have increased mortality, and provide time for the species to recover.

Managers in some regions of the country are already using fishery ecosystem plans as a way to take a big-picture approach to fisheries management. And in Florida, state wildlife officials’ rapid assessment of and reaction to the red tide is an example of precisely what these plans are designed to facilitate. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently ordered the release of any snook and redfish caught through May 2019 in affected areas because of red tide.

A fishery ecosystem plan also can help managers when conditions are good—for example, by providing scientific justification for increasing catch limits or extending fishing seasons for some species when prey is abundant or other conditions are favorable.

Changes in estuary and oceans conditions can affect fish populations and the businesses that rely on them. A plan provides a way for managers to use forecast biological, social, and economic trends—such as the amount and kind of fishing expected, or changes in domestic seafood supply and security— to help fishermen and coastal businesses plan for such shifts. This kind of planning increases order and accountability in the fishery management process. In addition, the plans give fishery managers more direction about how to use the scientific information they regularly receive, and an opportunity to weigh in on what research will help them do their jobs better.

The council wouldn’t be bound by a fishery ecosystem plan but instead would use it to advise its work, help set goals and objectives, and provide success metrics. A plan could be updated as new issues and science emerge.

Further discussions and public meetings in coming months will allow input from fishermen, scientists, and the public. The use of an ecosystem plan is one more way in which Gulf of Mexico managers can work toward sustainable fisheries in this region today and for future generations.

Holly Binns directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’ efforts to protect ocean life in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. South Atlantic Ocean, and the U.S. Caribbean.