Characterization of the dolphinfish (Coryphaenidae) fishery of the United States western north Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Fishery dependent data from various commercial and recreational sampling programs form the basis for characterizing the fishery for dolphinfish (Coryphaenus hippurus) in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and off the southeastern U.S. coast. Three states in the region have implemented size and bag limits for dolphinfishes, but there are no federal regulations in place at this time. Commercial landings were relatively small in comparison to recreational landings from 1984 through 1996. In 1995 however, commercial landings in the Atlantic Ocean of the southeastern U.S. were almost twice the weight of the previous years. The average weight per fish was calculated for each water body and fishing sector and there appear to have been significant increases in the average weight of fish landed both in the commercial and recreational sectors in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Catch per unit of effort is measured as numbers of fish caught per angler per hour in the recreational fishery and has been variable since the early 1980s. In light of increasing landings and average weights of fish landed since the 1980s, the sustainability of this fishery must be fully evaluated.