Boston — SFP Fisheries Analysts Patricia Amorim and Megan Westmeyer prepared the report, based in part on data collected from SFP’s fisheries database FishSource. SFP unveiled the report at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts, US on March 6.
While the report does describe a steady increase in landings of snapper and grouper since the 1950s, many snapper and grouper stocks are not being properly tracked, especially in some developing countries, making a full assessment of global snapper and grouper stocks difficult, if not impossible.
“Snapper and grouper are very important to fishing communities around the world, but little science and management is available to ensure the long-term sustainability of those fisheries,” Westmeyer said. “The US market is a major consumer of these products, and thus can be a catalyst for fishery improvement efforts.”
In addition to the current state of stocks, the report also contains a series of recommendations for fisheries, buyers and other members of the supply chain. Among other suggestions, the report advises stakeholders to:
• Initiate species-specific harvest data collection
• Improve reporting of harvest data to the FAO.
• Ensure a fishery management plan is in place.
“Many snapper and grouper are in need of the most basic data collection and management efforts,” Westmeyer said. “The seafood supply chain can help their producers implement data-gathering programs, but can also reach out to national government to emphasize the need for fishery-wide scientific research and management.”
You can read the full report by clicking here.