| Contents Notes |
Changes in the age structure and population size of scamp, Mycteroperca phenax, from North Carolina through the Florida Keys were examined using records of landings and size frequencies of fish from commercial, recreational, and headboat fisheries from 1986-1996. populatio~ size in numbers at age was estimated for each year by applying separable virtual population analysis (SVPA) to the landings in numbers at age. SVPA was used to estimate annual, age-specific fishing mortality (F) for four levels of natural mortality (M = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25). We believe that the best estimate of M is ¨0.15-0.20. Landings of scamp for the three fisheries have generally increased in recent years, and minimum fish size regulations have resulted in an increase in the mean size of fish landed. Age at entry and age ¨at full recruitment were age-1.and age-5 for 1986-1988, age-1 and age-3, .for 1989-1991, and age-1 and age-5 for 1992-1996. With M = 0.15, levels of fishing mortality (F) ranged from 0.11 to 0:29 for the entire period, 1986-1996. Spawning potential ratio (SPR) was 35% with !vI = 0.15 for the most recent time period, 1992-1996, and 52% with M = 0.20. If M does equal 0.15, SPR could be raised to 40% by reducing F or increasing the age at entry to the fisheries. We ran the models with release fish mortality, which had no impact on attaining the 40% SPR level. |
