"Since its inception in 1993, the Southeast Gillnet Observer Program has followed the evolvement and changes of the Florida-Georgia shark gillnet fishery (e.g. Carlson and Bethea 2007 and references therein, Passerotti et al. 2011). Currently, there are nearly 500 total directed and incidental shark permits issued in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, while the number of fishers using gillnet gear varies annually. Implementation of the most recent amendments to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (NMFS 2007, 2010) have reduced gillnet effort targeting large coastal sharks (LCS) and small coastal sharks (SCS), respectively, and resulted in fishers increasingly targeting finfish species such as Spanish mackerel Scomberomorous maculatus, king mackerel Scomberomorous cavalla, and bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix, with varying types of gillnet gear as an alternative. Consequently, the southeast gillnet observer program currently covers all anchored (sink and stab), strike, or drift gillnet fishing regardless of target by vessels that fish from Florida to North Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico year-round. Herein, we summarize fishing effort and catch and bycatch in these fisheries during January 2011 - December 2011, collectively referred to as '2011'"--Introduction

Technical Memorandum

Southern States

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)