2006 Spotted Seatrout Stock Assessment
This article provides an executive summary of the 2006 stock assessment for spotted seatrout.
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An assessment of the status of spotted seatrout in Florida waters through 2005
Cynoscion nebulosus
Michael D. Murphy, Cameron B. Guenther, and Behzad Mahmoudi
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue, Southeast
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5020
November 6, 2006
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This assessment report covers the spotted seatrout fisheries found in each of the northern and southern management regions on the Atlantic and gulf coasts of Florida. Spotted seatrout population dynamics were estimated for the period 1950–2005 utilizing all available information on catch, effort, relative abundance, and age composition.
Annual commercial landings of spotted seatrout in Florida during 1950–2005 were highest in 1952 at about 3.5 million fish. After a secondary peak in landings in 1965 at about 3.2 million fish, landings steadily declined through 1994 before rapidly dropping to near-current levels of nearly 40,000 fish by 2000.
During the period when estimates were available directly from the fishery, 1982–2005, the total recreational harvest generally declined through the 1980’s and much of the 1990’s in all regions. After 1995 there was a general increase in landings in the two southern regions. Both northern regions showed a period of relative stability in the landings during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s but have recently trended upward. Statewide recreational harvest was over 3.4 million fish in 2005.
The estimated numbers of fishing trips made by anglers fishing for spotted seatrout has increased since 1996. The numbers of estimated trips were variable but without trend during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, except in the Northeast region where the number of angler trips actually declined during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. There has been no significant trend in the median total-catch rate for spotted seatrout during 1991–2005 in the Northwest, Southwest or Southeast regions; however, in the Northeast region there was a significant decline.
Overall fishing mortality rate estimates for spotted seatrout in Florida were higher through most of the 1980’s than they have been since 1990. During 2003–2005 fishing mortality rates have remained relatively low except for a rebound in female fishing mortality rates in the Northwest region.
Estimates of age-0 spotted seatrout abundance during the period 1982–2005 showed variability but no long-term trend for either sex in the two southern regions. In the northern regions, female young-of-the-year spotted seatrout showed a long-term significant decrease in abundance.
Overall population abundance of spotted seatrout in Florida was estimated to be 37.6 million fish at the beginning of 2005, with most being male, 19.7 million. In the southern regions, estimated abundance has increased during 1982–2005. In the northern regions estimated abundance of females has declined but male abundance has not changed significantly in the Northwest region and has increased in the Northeast region.
Estimates for transitional spawning potential ratio (tSPR) in 2005 for spotted seatrout in each region exceeded the Commission’s target of 35%. On the gulf coast estimates for 2005 were 38% and 44% in the Northwest and Southwest regions, respectively. On the Atlantic coast, the northern and southern region estimates are 51% and 62%. Recent trends in year-specific, static SPR estimates indicate that near-term future tSPR will continue to fluctuate closely around its current levels in the gulf coast regions but will decline somewhat on the Atlantic coast.
