Potentials and Limitations of Stock Enhancement in Marine Recreational Fisheries Systems: An Integrative Review of Florida's Red Drum Enhancement

In this study, an integrative review of the potential for stock enhancement is conducted to support desirable management outcomes in marine recreational fisheries, focusing on the Florida, USA, red drum fishery as a case study. Here, stock enhancement is implicitly seen as a way of simultaneously achieving both ecological objectives of sustained wild fish populations and socioeconomic objectives of high fishing effort and/or catch rates. However, the review suggests that a fundamental tradeoff remains between these objectives in the short-term because stocking of hatchery fish is likely to result in at least partial displacement of wild fish through biological interactions as well as increased fishing pressure. Contrary to the perception of enhancement as a “quick fix,” successful use of the approach in the marine recreational fishery is likely to require sophisticated stock management and some adaptation in governance. In developing the enhancement, it will be necessary to address uncertainty in key attr...