Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Aquaculture & Fisheries

Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an estuarine-dependent sciaenid that inhabits estuaries, bays, and coastal regions from New York to Mexico. In Texas, the red drum population began a dramatic decline in the 1970s, prompting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to set up a three-pronged recovery plan. Management approaches were: 1) Initiate an independent monitoring program to assess relative abundance; 2) Implement restrictive regulations to reduce fishing pressure, including license restrictions, size, bag, and possession limits, a commercial quota, restrictions on netting, and a ban on commercial sale of red drum; and 3) Develop and start a marine enhancement program based on the release of hatchery-reared fingerlings and assessment of subsequent survival. Recently, the red drum population in Texas coastal water rebounded because of several factors that had a positive effect on the recovery. TPWDs long-term management plan utilizing hatcheries and stocking to supplement natural spawning played a role in reversing the decline of the red drum population. The strategy used by the TPWD can serve as a blueprint for other marine enhancement programs.