Development of a Caribbean regional conservation strategy for reef fish spawning aggregations

Intensive fishing of spawning aggregations (SPAGs) has led to the degradation of many sites on a global scale. Recent scientific studies have confirmed the decline or demise of many aggregations. The need to take action to ensure the protection of spawning aggregations led to the formation of the Society for the Conservation of ReefFish Aggregations (SCRFA). Many of the economically important reef fish species e.g. groupers and snappers, share life history characteristics which make these species particularly vulnerable to overexploitation. The formation of spawning aggregations by most of these species exacerbates this vulnerability. The documentation and evaluation of the status of spawning aggregations of groupers and snappers in the region indicates that most sites have been suffering declines in landings. In particular, the Nassau grouper has been significantly impacted by fishing pressure with the disappearance of a number of sites in different countries. A conservation strategy for spawning aggregations in the Caribbean region is presented comprising the following seven elements: i) Elimination of fishing mortality at vulnerable SPAG sites, ii) Incorporation of known SPAG sites into planning programs for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to provide permanent protection of the sites, iii) Development and implementation of monitoring programs to evaluate the effect of management /conservation measures, iv) Development of community based management programs for SPAG sites, v) Provision of viable economic alternatives to those user groups who are displaced from SPAG sites, and vi) Application of gear restrictions to reduce catchability if closure of SPAG sites cannot be implemented, vi) Use ofeconomic/marketmeasures such as sales or export restrictions to reduce fishing activity at SPAGs.