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2005 Red Drum Stock Assessment

This article provides a stock assessment of the status of Red Drum through 2003.

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A stock assessment of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in Florida:
status of the stocks through 2003

Michael D. Murphy
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5020
5 May 2005

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Since 1990, fishing mortality rates for red drum have slowly increased on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. The number of fishing trips made by anglers catching or seeking red drum reached historical highs on both coast during the early 2000’s. The total harvest of red drum has been stable (Gulf) or slowly increasing (Atlantic) since 1989. Angling success, as measured by total-catch rates, increased in 2003 reversing the downward trend seen since the mid to late 1990s.

The abundance of young newly recruited age-0 red drum declined during the latter half of the 1980’s but since then has varied without trend on either coast. Strong year classes (assigned January 1 following hatch) appear in the monitoring data: at the beginning of 1995, 1999, and 2003 on the Atlantic coast and at the beginning of 1996 and 2003 on the Gulf coast. The estimates of absolute abundance for ages 1-3 at the beginning of 2003 was about 0.7 million fish on the Atlantic coast and 1.5 million fish on the Gulf coast. The model-estimated abundance for ages 1-3 did not show an appreciable trend after the mid-1990’s on the Atlantic coast but did show a rapid increase after 2000 on the Gulf coast.

Estimated year-class-specific escapement rates were below the Commission’s target of 30% between 1986 and 1988 but then increased rapidly to peak values by 1991, probably in response to strict regulations placed on the fisheries during the mid to late 1980’s. However, by 1992, increasing fishing effort and harvest began to drive the escapement rates down. In this assessment report we document a persistent decrease in year-class-specific escapement rates through the late 1990’s on the Gulf coast and through 2003 on the Atlantic coast. Gulf coast escapement rates appeared to have leveled off, beginning in 1998, at escapement levels near the 30% target.

For 2003, the modal estimate of year-class-specific escapement rate on the Atlantic coast was 34% with a 50% likelihood of falling between 29 and 54%. On the Gulf coast, modal year-class-specific escapement was estimated at 32% in 2003 with a 50% likelihood of falling between 26 and 47%. It appears from these analyses that red drum populations in Florida are likely to be achieving the Commission’s management target for red drum of at least a 30% escapement rate through age 4.

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For more information:

Red Drum: Information on red drum (redfish).
Stock Assessments: View other stock assessments for finfish and invertebrates.
red drum Species Account: Read the Red Drum species account.

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Prior to July 1, 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute was known as the Florida Marine Research Institute. The institute name has not been changed in historical articles and articles that directly reference work done by the Florida Marine Research Institute.