The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) is pleased to announce the completion and final approval of the Management Profile for the Gulf and Southern Flounder Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. The Management Profile is a cooperative effort to describe the flounder populations throughout the territorial seas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the fisheries they support.
The Profile is a comprehensive document of the biology of the Gulf and southern flounders (Paralichthys albigutta and Paralichthys lethostigma) and includes a description of the fisheries and current management as well as discussion on the distribution, habitat, and genetics of this species in the Gulf. The five Gulf states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) management authorities, their laws, regulations, and policies are included in the profile as well as the sociology and economics of the fishery.
The GSMFC is pleased to provide the Profile at our website as a downloadable Adobe PDF file at http://www.gsmfc.org/publications/GSMFC%20Number%20247.pdf. For more information, please contact Steve VanderKooy at the GSMFC office.
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government Street
Ocean Springs, MS 39564 (228) 875-5912
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) was established by an act of Congress (P.L. 81-66) in 1949 as a compact of the five Gulf States. Its charge is
Ato promote better utilization of the fisheries, marine, shell and anadromous, of the seaboard of the Gulf of Mexico, by the development of a joint program for the promotion and protection of such fisheries and the prevention of the physical waste of the fisheries from any cause.@
The GSMFC is composed of three members from each of the five Gulf States: the head of the marine resource agency of each state, a member of the state legislature, and a citizen appointed by the governor. The GSMFC is empowered to make recommendations to the governors and legislatures of the five Gulf States on action regarding programs helpful to the management of the fisheries. The states do not relinquish any of their rights or responsibilities in regulating their own fisheries by being members of the GSMFC. Recommendations to the states are based on scientific studies made by experts employed by state and federal resource agencies and advice from law enforcement officials and the commercial and recreational fishing industries. The GSMFC is also authorized to consult with and advise the proper administrative agencies of the member states regarding fishery conservation problems. In addition, the GSMFC advises the U.S. Congress and may testify on legislation and marine policies that affect the Gulf States. One of the most important functions of the GSMFC is to serve as a forum for the discussion of various problems, issues, and programs concerning marine management.
By: Steven J. VanderKooy, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
