KEY MESSAGE:
NOAA Fisheries currently manages red snapper, ten grouper and three tilefish species under the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper and Grouper-Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) programs. An online IFQ species identification guide is now available under the Additional Information tab on the Catch Shares Homepage at: portal.southeast.fisheries.noaa.gov/cs. A direct link to the PDF is here: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/ifq/documents/pdfs/ifq_species_id.pdf
WHY THIS MESSAGE IS IMPORTANT:
Certain species are very similar in appearance and could be confused when captured or landed after a trip. Some common examples are:
- Gag Grouper vs. Black Grouper
- Black Grouper vs. Yellowfin Grouper
- Scamp Grouper vs. Yellowmouth Grouper
- Golden Tilefish vs. Goldface Tilefish
- Blueline Tilefish vs. Goldface Tilefish
Correctly identifying and reporting all species is important because these data inform both stock assessments and fisheries management.