Catch composition, Effort, and Selectivity of Fishes of Recreational Fishing in YucatAn, Mexico
Fishing for recreational purposes is a component rarely studied. This activity represents a potential competition with artisanal fisheries, although its impact on fish stocks remains unknown in many coastal areas worldwide. Here, in this study we described the catch composition, the catch per unit effort (CPUE), size at first capture (L 50 ) and the length-weight relationship (LWR) of the fish species caught by the recreational fishing from the coastal area off Chuburna Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico. During an annual cycle a total of 1,241 specimens of 21 fish species, belonging to 13 families, were collected with hook and line, as the main fishing gear used by the recreational fishing in the region. The species Haemulon plumieri and Sphoeroides nephelus were captured all along the study period and contributed with 43.07% and 30.55% of the total biomass, respectively. Seven species are known to have a commercial interest for exploitation and 10 with minor commercial interest. The average CPUE was 2.86 kg/fisher/day. From the LWR parameters of 12 species presented, only five species showed isometric growth. Due to the lack of information on biological-fishing issues of the species captured by recreational fishing in the northern coast of the Yucatan, this work provides useful information on the composition and abundance of fish species that can be caught, and may represent a baseline for future management strategies for these unassessed fish species which are up to date subject of unregulated exploitation.
