Compact News. Director s Corner. Volume 21, Number 1 April New GSMFC Publications

Transcription

1 Compact News Volume 21, Number 1 April 2010 Director s Corner Who Dat Say They Gonna Beat Dem Saints! It was an exciting time this year with New Orleans going all the way. Fisheries are also always exciting in some form or fashion. Our staff and the staff of our state agencies are to be commended for their hard work and efforts. Please see a sampling of these efforts in the following articles regarding the various programs of the Commission. Hope you enjoy this edition of the Compact News. The oyster fishery in the Gulf of Mexico is now on the rebound, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana as a result of an infusion of Congressional funds to rebuild after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It takes time to see results after such a devastating natural disaster and the states hard work has paid off. The results are abundantly evident now in that fishery. We thank the Congress and especially our states delegation for providing these rebuilding funds and have been diligent in ensuring that they are spent in a fashion that helps not only the resources but the fishermen who depend on them. The nation deserves our best efforts in guaranteeing that there will always be a large supply of safe and healthy local seafood for all to eat and enjoy. On the federal front we are addressing several issues that will have long-term implications for management and state/federal cooperation. Probably the most important are catch shares and management of recreational fisheries in state waters as well as the improvement of the vital data which is the foundation of all of these management actions. The management of marine fisheries is truly a cooperative effort. This Commission has always worked with the states in order to improve our ability to do the right thing for our living marine resources that we all hold so dear. New GSMFC Publications All Commission publications are available electronically at or by request as paper copies until supplies run out. No March SEAMAP Environmental and Biological Atlas of the Gulf of Mexico, Jeffrey K. Rester, Nathaniel Sanders, Jr., and Butch Pellegrin, editors. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. No February SEAMAP-Gulf of Mexico Marine Directory. Fishery-Independent Survey Activities. James C. Hanifen, Chairman, Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. No January Annual Report of the SEAMAP October 1, 2008 September 30, Jeffrey K. Rester, editor. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. No October SEAMAP Annual Report to the Technical Coordinating Committee, October 1, 2008 September 30, James C. Hanifen, SEAMAP Subcommittee Chairman and Jeffrey K. Rester, SEAMAP Coordinator. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.

2 EFFECTIVENESS OF LOGBOOKS FOR ESTIMATING FOR-HIRE EFFORT AND LANDINGS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. Gregg Bray The Gulf of Mexico supports large recreational fisheries, and significant portions of total recreational landings are attributed to the for-hire sector. Two important species complexes, reef fish and pelagic fish, are highly sought by recreational anglers. Recreational fisheries for these species are tightly regulated with seasons, size limits, daily harvest limits, and gear specifications. There is a critical need in this region to improve the timeliness and accuracy of recreational fishing statistics. In 2006, the National Research Council conducted an independent review of recreational fisheries survey methods (NRC 2006). The NRC review recognized that in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico, the magnitude of the for-hire sector and the potential scale for fishery removals warrants the use of mandatory logbooks as the source of catch and effort data for the for-hire sector. Industry support for a universal logbook reporting method in the Gulf of Mexico has been building throughout the region in recent years, particularly from vessels that participate in federally managed fisheries. The increasing public testimony supporting a change to logbook reporting has spurred recent actions at state and regional levels. The Marine Recreational Information Program s (MRIP) for-hire workgroup has submitted a proposal to develop and pilot test a universal logbook reporting system for use by the for-hire fleet in the Gulf of Mexico. The initial pilot study is going to test this logbook reporting methodology in two regions of the Gulf of Mexico: the Corpus Christi/Port Aransas region of Texas and the Panhandle region of Florida. The pilot test will focus on all charter vessels in each region that possess federal for-hire permits for reef fish and/or pelagic fish in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot study participants will be required to provide trip-level reporting of effort, catch (harvest and discards), and area fished. Each participant will be provided options for electronic reporting or paper reporting and will be required to report on a weekly basis. State biologists will be participating by riding on charter vessels during randomly selected trips to help validate the accuracy of harvested and discarded catch. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) staff will work with the states to develop a system for tracking non-compliant vessels. All paper and electronic data will be delivered to GSMFC where the data will be checked and cleaned of any errors. The project plans to begin collecting data by August 1, 2010 and will run through July 31, The MRIP For-Hire Work Group will conduct an analysis at the completion of the pilot project to compare estimates between the existing for-hire data Deep Sea Fishing Off Alabama (Steve VanderKooy, 2004) collection methods and the pilot logbook method. The analysis will attempt to determine the logbook system s capacity to produce timely and reasonably precise estimates at state and regional (within state) levels for stock assessment and fisheries management.

3 RESEARCH EFFORT AIMED AT UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMICS OF FISHING- RELATED BUSINESSES Alex Miller As fisheries management policies change, the economic consequences of these actions extend past commercial fishing fleets to supporting fishing related businesses. Understanding the linkages between specific fisheries industries and the regional economy can be helpful in determining the potential impacts of management decisions. The Commission s economics program is, therefore, in the process of collecting data to determine the economic performance and the economic contributions that shoreside firms have on local and regional economies. The information gathered in this project will supplement or replace existing economic data that are often piecemeal, outdated, or not fully relevant. The availability of unbiased, systematic economic data of this nature should assist fisheries managers, commercial fishing-related business owners, and others who utilize the Gulf s resources in the formation of informed management decisions. This study specifically focuses on the economics of commercial seafood dealers, processors, and retailers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The research effort is the first systematic, multi-state effort to analyze the economic performance and impact that these three sectors of shore-side firms have on the regional economy. The Commission is collaborating with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Socioeconomic Research and Development Section in the implementation of this survey and the analysis of the results. The Commission has also obtained the cooperation and support of relevant state regulatory agencies and universities within each of the five Gulf states. The project is being conducted through onsite interviews for commercial seafood processors and as a mail survey for dealers and retailers. Data collection activities are scheduled to begin this summer. Up-to-date economic data being collected includes such things as revenue, operating costs, annual expenditures, employment data, and characteristics of the fishing- related business. Furthermore, this study will document the current economic conditions of commercial seafood fishing related businesses. The information collected in this study will also be used to estimate regional economic impacts of the industry, number of jobs, and amount of revenue that commercial seafood fishing relatedbusinesses contribute to the regional economy. All figures and estimates will be presented as industry totals and averages. A final report of the results will be compiled and presented soon after the analysis is conducted. In addition to the compilation of the final report, economic data and subsequent impacts will also be presented through the Commission s newly developed online Fisheries Economic Information Portal. A variety of stakeholders will be able to easily access this information through this portal. Please feel free to contact Alex Miller, Economics Program Coordinator, if you have any questions concerning this project. Ocean Springs Seafood-Foot of Jackson Avenue Prior to Katrina (Ray Bellande, 2005)

4 DERELICT TRAPS 2010 TWELVE YEARS OF EFFORT YIELDS RESULTS Steve VanderKooy Crab floats and derelict crab traps are a common feature of our nearshore waterways and bayous. Traps are most often lost when the floats and lines marking their location are cut or rot away from the trap. Traps are, at times, left in the water to mark a fishing area and reserve bottom for a fishermen to return to later in the season and occasionally, fishermen just leave the fishery and leave their traps where they are. Whatever the reason, derelict or abandoned crab traps contribute to unnecessary mortality of blue crabs and bycatch, exacerbate conflicts with other commercial and recreational user groups, are unsightly, and may cause damage to sensitive habitats. Starting in 2001, the GSMFC began a coordinated effort with the Gulf s member agencies at the helm to reduce the proliferation of additional derelict traps and remove those already in the water. Thanks to the efforts of the GSMFC s TCC Crab Subcommittee, a white paper on the impacts of derelict traps was published (GSMFC Pub No. 88) and a manual was developed in 2003 to provide a cookbook type approach to any state agency or NGO interested in starting their own trap removal programs (GSMFC Pub No. 110). (Hode, 2010) The first official blue crab trap cleanup took place in Mississippi in 1999 and expanded to all five Gulf states by Currently, all five Gulf states have sanctioned cleanup programs that have removed almost 72,939 blue crab traps to date. Additionally, Florida has had an ongoing trap retrieval program during the closed seasons of the stone crab and lobster fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico since the mid-1990s and has recently dedicated effort state-wide to blue crab traps. Volunteers were used in most of the programs prior to the hurricanes of 2005 to collect the traps and the state agencies often provided the necessary equipment for removal and transport from the water to shore and from the shore to a recycler. Canoes Used to Access Shallow Water Traps in Mississippi (VanderKooy, 2010) Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 changed the magnitude of the derelict trap problem and the approach used by the states to remove them. In Mississippi alone it was estimated that the total loss of traps from Katrina was around 44,000. Many fishermen had removed their traps in preparation for the storm but left them stacked shoreside. Many of those traps ended up in the water with the surge. Additional losses were reported in Louisiana and Alabama as well as a result of the hurricanes. Hurricane Ivan, in 2004, added to the total number of derelict traps in Alabama even before Katrina hit.

5 crab fishermen to conduct the removals and 23,000 traps were recovered and recycled. Volunteers were utilized in the other states but with significant reductions in volunteers and effort. (VanderKooy, 2010) As part of the fisheries aid and recovery funded by Congress following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, commercial fishermen were put back to work supporting the recovery efforts and activities. One of the approaches was to utilize crab fishermen to actively search for and recover lost crab traps. A bounty system was developed in Mississippi to encourage participation and was funded through the GSMFC s Emergency Disaster Recovery Program (EDRP). Mississippi s cleanups in relied heavily on In 2010, all five states hosted volunteer based cleanups once again and volunteer participation remains lower than in the early years. The Mississippi cleanup was conducted January with around 350 traps picked up from coastal waters. GSMFC staff helped the biologists from the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and the MDMR this year by providing paddle power to a kayak and canoe to remove around 40 traps from Davis Bayou. The Louisiana volunteer cleanup was March 7. The Texas volunteer was February 20 and the Alabama public cleanup was Saturday, March 6. Florida is holding cleanups for derelict blue crab traps from Tampa Bay to the Keys July 10-19, the Big Bend area July 20-29, and the Panhandle January 5-14, If you haven t had a chance to participate in a cleanup, make a point to get out this year; there are plenty of opportunities and plenty of need. Total traps removed annually by state (NP = no program, NE = no effort). First year of volunteer based effort in bold. Year FL AL MS LA TX TOTAL 1999 NP NP 352 NP NP NP NP 1,097 NP NP 1, NP NP 393 NP NP NP NP 8,070 9, NP 1,084 1,818 NP 3,858 6, ,894 3,571 11, NP NP 4,623 2,509 7, NP 2,935 1,922 6, NA ,150 1,498 2,816 15, NA 356 1,259 1,234 1,301 4, ,189* NE ,927 7, NA ,582 2,695 TOTAL 5,494 3,083 18,357 18,449 27,556 72,939 * The state-wide total, not for the Gulf alone

6 SOUTHEAST AREA MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (SEAMAP) Jeff Rester In 2010, SEAMAP begins its 29 th year of fishery independent sampling. Current SEAMAP surveys include a Winter, Summer, and Fall Shrimp/Groundfish Survey; a Winter, Spring, and Fall Plankton Survey; a Reeffish Survey; an Inshore Longline Survey; and inshore fishery independent sampling. Several SEAMAP surveys have begun or expanded their coverage over the last few years. An Inshore Longline Survey is currently sampling waters off Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Texas will participate in the survey in 2010, sampling several areas off the Texas coast. The Inshore Longline Survey seeks to monitor coastal shark and adult finfish populations in the near shore waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico. This near shore survey complements an existing long-term fisheries independent survey currently being conducted by NMFS by targeting shark and adult finfish species within the shallow waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico. The objectives of the survey are to collect information on abundance and distribution with a 1- mile longline and also to collect environmental data. Florida began participating in the SEAMAP Reeffish Survey in The objectives of the survey are to evaluate reeffish communities on the West Florida Shelf (offshore Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay) through utilization of chevron fish traps and stationary underwater digital cameras. They also collect biological samples (e.g., age, sex, reproduction, diet, mercury, and genetics) for life history studies. Hardbottom habitats are targeted where four chevron traps and two stationary video camera arrays are deployed at each station. The fish traps are soaked at the bottom for a minimum of 90 minutes prior to retrieval. The stationary video camera array is equipped with a pair of underwater camera units positioned at an angle of 180º from one another to maximize the total field of view. Processing of data from stationary video camera arrays is conducted in the laboratory. Florida also recently began participating in the SEAMAP trawl surveys. Historically, the SEAMAP Shrimp/Groundfish Surveys have not sampled waters off of Florida. In 2008 and 2009, Florida participated in the Summer and Fall Shrimp/Groundfish Surveys. Florida s participation in these surveys will provide much needed data on shrimp, bottom dwelling fish, and red snapper populations on the west Florida shelf. In 2010, due to funding constraints, Florida will only participate in one of the Shrimp/Groundfish Surveys. A tagged shark being released after capture. The shark was caught on a bottom longline as part of SEAMAP s new Inshore Bottom Longline Survey (Rester, 2010) 6

7 GSMFC TAKES A LOOK AT FISHERIES OUTREACH EFFORTS IN THE REGION James Ballard In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on involving the fishing public in fisheries management and improving fisheries outreach efforts by several agencies in the Gulf of Mexico region. In response to this, the Commission established a new Subcommittee under its Technical Coordinating Committee. The Fisheries Outreach Subcommittee is made up of public relations staff from the marine resource agencies in our member states, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This Subcommittee held its first meeting at the GSMFC s 60 th Annual Spring Meeting in Orange Beach, Alabama. The focus of this meeting was to establish where member states and the other agencies in the Gulf region stand in regard to their outreach activities and to share with each other what has and has not worked. This first meeting was a great success and the members of the Subcommittee, as well as the Commission, see a real benefit to this cooperation and information sharing between states and agencies in the Gulf region. The Subcommittee members covered several of their programs aimed at getting kids interested in fishing and the marine environment as well as efforts geared at keeping the commercial industry informed about regulation changes. They presented some of their outreach materials, like the marine information calendars that are produced by several of the states. These calendars outline important information for marine anglers, such as recreational size and creel limits, tidal cycles and coordinates for artificial reefs. There was also discussion of monofilament recycling, derelict crab trap cleanup and other conservation projects that are being carried out in the five Gulf states. The Subcommittee decided to hold another meeting during the GSMFC s 61st Annual Fall Meeting in October to go over some of the outreach projects that all of our member states have in common, and work on ways to unify them. Also, the Subcommittee will work on developing a way to share the electronic form of their outreach materials so a state that wants to develop something similar can just modify an established one as opposed to starting from scratch. Before this next meeting, the Program Coordinator will work on getting more agencies in the Gulf region, which play a large role in fisheries outreach, represented on the Subcommittee. 7

8 Ultimately, the Subcommittee would like to use this forum to develop unified messages and consistent ways to present those messages at outreach events across the Gulf. This form of unified effort would make sure that all member states and agencies are conveying to the fishing public the same important fisheries related information, as well as the reasoning behind the fisheries management decisions that are made.

9 Distribution of Sand and Silver Seatrout in the Gulf of Mexico Jeff Rester The IJF Program is currently developing a fisheries profile for sand seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius) and silver seatrout (C. nothus). These two common fish species have distributions that overlap in the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers have suggested that the sand seatrout is usually found further inshore while the silver seatrout is found further offshore in deeper water. These two species are hard to tell apart with the only reliable method being to count the number of fin rays in the anal fin. Since these species look alike, recreational and commercial fishery landings for both species are lumped together and categorized as sand seatrout. Sand and silver seatrout currently do not have any size or bag limits on their take. Fishermen are allowed to keep as many fish of any size that they want, so their population status has concerned some fishery managers especially in light of increasing fishing regulations restricting the catches of other popular species. Fishery managers worry that fishermen could shift their fishing effort to these species thereby negatively impacting their populations. Recreational landings of both species combined increased from 1.9 million pounds in 2005 to 3.7 million pounds in In order to look at the population status, fishery managers need to be able to differentiate between landings of the two species. I recently completed a paper examining the catches of sand and silver seatrout to determine if an inshore/ offshore distribution pattern existed. The distribution pattern was investigated by means of geostatistics using catch data from the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP). Figure 1. Prediction map of silver seatrout using ordinary cokriging. 9

10 Catch data from the SEAMAP Summer Shrimp/ Groundfish Survey (Survey) were examined to look at distribution and depth ranges for the two species. The Survey is a standardized fishery independent data collection survey that has taken place annually since A total of 3,765 trawl stations from 1997 through 2007 were sorted from the SEAMAP database. Catches were standardized and then examined in ArcMap s Geostatistical Analyst. Several kriging and cokriging methods were investigated before a final model was chosen that used ordinary cokriging with water depth and bottom temperature as covariates. Of the 3,765 trawl stations, only 1,033 contained catches of silver seatrout while 1,302 contained catches of sand seatrout. Zero catches represented 73% of the silver seatrout catches with the catch data ranging from 0 to 7,989 fish caught in an hour of trawling. Zero catches represented 65% of the sand seatrout catches with the catch data ranging from 0 to 7,098 fish caught in an hour. Figure 1 shows the prediction map for silver seatrout, while Figure 2 shows the prediction map for sand seatrout. In order to tell if there were depth zonation patterns between the two species, the cokriging prediction map for sand seatrout was subtracted from the cokriging prediction map for silver seatrout. This showed where one species was more dominant than the other. Blue areas in Figure 3 show where sand seatrout are more abundant while red areas show where silver seatrout predominate. Figure 3 shows that sand seatrout are the predominate species in areas with lower salinities such as around the mouth of the Mississippi River, off the Atchafalaya River in central Louisiana, off the mouth of the Calcasieu River in western Louisiana, and off Galveston Bay. Silver seatrout seem to predominate off south and central Texas and off southwestern Figure 2. Prediction map of sand seatrout using ordinary cokriging. 10

11 Louisiana. These areas usually have higher salinities due to less freshwater inflow. The interesting thing to note is that sand seatrout which were thought to be more common in estuarine and shallow offshore waters than silver seatrout are found in higher numbers offshore (70 to 100 m water depth) than silver seatrout. After examining the data, it does not appear that there is an inshore/offshore differentiation between the two species. Figure 3. The difference between the abundance of silver and sand seatrout. Areas in blue show where sand seatrout predominate, while areas in red show where silver seatrout are more abundant. 11

12 THE GREAT WICOMICO MISSISSIPPI S LATEST ARTIFICIAL REEF Ralph Hode Mississippi s Offshore Artificial reef restoration program took another step forward on November 24th (VanderKooy, 2009) 2009 when the fishing vessel the Great Wicomico was scuttled and sunk in waters 13 miles south of Horn Island. The Wicomico, built in 1945 in New Orleans by Higgins Boat Building as a Navy Transport and Cargo vessel (an FS-227), was 176 feet in length. It was acquired by Zapata (now Omega Protein, Inc.) in 1960 and operated out of Reedville, Virginia until The sinking of the vessel was a truly cooperative effort involving Omega Protein, which donated the vessel, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and Mississippi s Gulf Fishing Bank Inc. Omega also shared in the cost of cleaning and removal of hazardous materials 12 from the vessel as it was readied for sinking. Two six inch holes were cut in the hull near the bow to aid in the sinking. At approximately 12:00 PM, the holes were un-plugged, the sea chests were opened and the vessel began its slow decent for the next three hours. At 2:54 PM water began to wash the deck and within a matter of three minutes, the Great Wicomico listed, rolled, and quickly sank below the surface. The Wicomico settled in about 90 feet of water where it will spend the rest of its days as home to numerous reef fish that populate Mississippi s off shore waters. Over the past three years, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) has been very active replacing the artificial reefs that were destroyed off the coast of Mississippi during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Thus far, in addition to the sinking of the Wicomico, the state has installed more than 600 pre-fabricated reef balls and pyramid structures, more than 16 barge loads of culverts and a number of smaller vessels. A variety of reef materials is being used, according to Kerwin Cuevas, Artificial Reef Coordinator for the MDMR, so that determinations (VanderKooy, 2009)

13 ) d, 2009 (Ballar can be made as to which type of structure makes the best habitat. Cuevas believes that all the structures deployed thus far will enhance reef fish habitat to some extent; but, the questions of which ones attract and hold fish better, which ones withstand the forces of tidal surges and natural deterioration the best, and which is most cost effective, will only be determined once ongoing reef surveys are completed. He points out that this is extremely important when considering future restoration or construction of new reefs and that the information gained here can benefit other Gulf states as they consider similar projects in the future. Cuevas reported that through early 2010, approximately 65% of the state s planned reef restoration work had been completed. Much of this effort was funded through NOAA s Marine Fisheries Program by Emergency Disaster grants for post Katrina and Rita resource recovery. The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission is the coordinating agency through which the funds are distributed to the Gulf states. 13

14 Walter Fondron III April 29, 1936 January 28, 2010 The GSMFC grieves the passing of Walter W. Fondren III, a leader in the nation s recreational fishing community for over four decades. Walter died at the age of 73, following a courageous battle with congestive heart disease. He was surrounded by his wife Fran of 53 years and his loving family. Walter was instrumental in founding the Gulf Coast Conservation Association (now the CCA) and was one of the driving forces in the 1970 s to protect redfish along the Texas coast. His influence was felt across the country through the expansion of the CCA into other regions. The CCA website reports that: As chairman of CCA, he [Fondren] helped guide the organization s growth into a national presence with 17 state chapters and almost 100,000 members on all three coasts Walter s pro-active approach to fisheries and his direct involvement with fisheries management brought him to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council as a member from and the Council s Chair from Even though Walter never served on the GSMFC, his conservation attitude won the respect of the Commission and was awarded the Charles H. Lyles Award in 2001 for his commitment to the conservation and protection of our nation s marine resources from all threats, including over-fishing and habitat loss. In lieu of customary remembrances, his family requested that contributions in Walter s memory be directed to the Coastal Conservation Association Texas Fund, 6919 Portwest Dr., Suite 100, Houston, TX, Arrivals and Departures Janet Lumpkin, FIN Staff Assistant Janet Lumpkin joined the Commission in January as the Fisheries Information Network (FIN) Staff Assistant. Since January, she has been learning all about marine fisheries and data collection and management activities. Debbie McIntyre, IJF Staff Assistant Debbie McIntyre is one of the newest Commission employees and has been hired to assist the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Program Coordinator in running this important program. Her abilities were quickly tested as she attended an Oyster Task Force meeting after only a week on the job. 14

15 Upcoming Meetings In the Kitchen Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Panel Meeting on Aquatic Invasive Species Meeting April 27-28, 2010 Courtyard by Marriott Gulfport Beachfront Gulfport, Mississippi State Directors and NOAA Fisheries Meeting April 27-28, 2010 Hilton New Orleans Airport Kenner, Louisiana Otolith Processors Training Workshop May 4-5, 2010 Florida Wildlife Research Institute St. Petersburg, Florida Jalapeño Popper Stuffed with Sausage Wrapped in Bacon Dip James Ballard Tastes just like the real thing with a lot less work 1 lb. Cajun Sausage (can substitute any ground sausage you like) 12 Jalapeños seeded and diced 1 lb. Cooked bacon chopped 2-8 oz. Boxes of cream cheese 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper (Optional) In a large frying pan brown the sausage making sure to break it into small pieces. When sausage is done add the diced jalapeños and bacon and sauté for 2 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then mix in the cream cheese and cayenne. Move to a 9x9 baking dish and broil until the top is browned. Serve with Scoops. FIN Meeting June 8-9, 2010 El Tropicano Riverwalk San Antonio, Texas Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission s 61st Annual Meeting October 18-22, 2010 Marriot Suites on Sand Key Clearwater Beach, Florida 15

16 Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government Street Ocean Springs, MS TO: You can always find us at 16 Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government Street Ocean Springs, MS 39564