A recent study has warned about the declining population of the Nassau grouper, due to the overfishing of spawning aggregations, while asserting the need for adapted management of the fisheries resource.
Researchers from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago released a study yesterday, in partnership with the University of Exeter, the Perry Institute for Marine Science and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), in the Bulletin of Marine Science.
Krista Sherman, research associate from Shedd Aquarium, said "The Nassau grouper fishery represents a substantial monetary contribution to the Bahamian fisheries economy, supports thousands of livelihoods and is an iconic symbol for the country.
"Despite a recent national fishery closure during the spawning season, our
research suggests that aggregations continue to be overfished. Our work will inform a science-based and adaptive approach for future management of the fishery," Sherman continued.
A summary of the study was provided in a press release, which pointed out the Nassau grouper represents one of the "best-known examples of a fishery collapse" due to the overfishing of spawning aggregations throughout the Caribbean and The Bahamas.
"In part because of overfishing, the Nassau grouper is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Bahamas still supports a commercial fishery for Nassau grouper, but managers have noted population declines and the need for proactive, science-based management," the release said.
A team that visited The Bahamas helped to conduct the study and documented migration patterns using acoustic telemetry, a technology that uses sound pulses to track fish movements.
Dr. Chuck Knapp, vice president of conservation research at Shedd Aquarium, said "After spending the last two years tagging Nassau grouper in The Bahamas during their full moon aggregations, we documented the likely extirpation of an important spawning aggregation at High Cay, a small island off the east coast of Andros in The Bahamas, which had most likely existed for decades."
He added: "The collapse may be the result of fishing pressure and the overexploitation of the species due to their natural reproductive behaviors."

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