National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

NOAA’s Oil Spill Response 

Fishing Industry in the 

Gulf of Mexico
 

Fishing 

One of the biggest industries in the Gulf of Mexico is 

the fishing (commercial and recreational). 

More than three million (3.2 million) recreational 

fishers took fishing trips in the GOM in 2008, totalling 

24 million fishing trips. 

In 2008, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico 

harvested 1.27 billion pounds of finfish and shellfish. 

Commercial fishermen earned $659 million in total 

landings revenue in 2008. Two of the largest commercial 

fishing operations in the Gulf of Mexico are red snapper 

and shrimp. Brown shrimp is the most important species 

in the U.S. Gulf fishery, with principal catches made from 

June through October. 

The following shrimp species are found in the Gulf 

of Mexico: 

Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) 

White shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) 

Pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) 

Royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus) 

Seabobs (Xiphopenaeus kroveri) - incidental 

bycatch 

Rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris) -

incidental bycatch 

Marine Mammals 

There are two resident species of large whales in the 

Gulf of Mexico that may occur in the area of the spill: 

Bryde's whales and Sperm whales (endangered). 

Bryde’s whales (pronounced Brew-duhs) are not 

listed as endangered or threatened, but they are protected 

under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Bryde’s 

whales are baleen whales, meaning they have hair-like 

“teeth” in their mouths that the whales use to filter water 

and trap their food. A small population of Bryde’s whale 

(Balaenoptera edeni), the only baleen whale to commonly 

occur in the Gulf, inhabits the shelf break region in the 

northeastern Gulf. 

Sperm whales are much more abundant than Bryde’s 

whales and are found throughout the northern Gulf of 

Mexico, especially near the 1,000 m depth contour. 

Sperm whales are listed as Endangered under the 

Endangered Species Act, and are also protected under the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act. Sperm whales are the 

largest toothed whales, and they hunt relatively 

large-bodied prey in deep water. 

(continued on back) 
The following 21 marine mammals that routinely 

inhabit the northern Gulf are protected under the U.S. 

Marine Mammal Protection Act: 

1) Bottlenose dolphin 

2) Atlantic spotted dolphin 

3) Bryde’s whale 

4) Sperm whale (also protected by the Endangered 

Species Act) 

5) Dwarf sperm whale 

6) Pygmy sperm whale 

7) Cuvier’s beaked whale 

8) Blainville’s beaked whale 

9) Gervais’ beaked whale 

10) Short-finned pilot whale 

11) Killer whale 

12) False killer whale 

13) Pygmy killer whale 

14) Melon-headed whale 

15) Risso’s dolphin 

16) Rough-toothed dolphin 

17) Fraser’s dolphin 

18) Pantropical spotted dolphin 

19) Striped dolphin 

20) Clymene dolphin 

21) Spinner dolphin 

The greatest threat to whales from the oil spill is 

probably fouling of the baleen. If Bryde's whales are 

skim-feeding in the slick or otherwise get oil in their 

mouths, the oil would quickly clog and foul the baleen. 

Fouled baleen could lead to compromised feeding, 

starvation and death. 

Skin contact or inhalation exposure is probably a 

much less serious risk for large whales, and would 

probably only have sub-lethal effects. Long-term impacts 

also are possible through take-up of oil components 

through the food chain and likely “biomagnification” of 

the contaminants in large marine mammals. 

Sea Turtles 

There are five species of turtles that inhabit the Gulf 

of Mexico: 

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) (endangered)
 

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) (endangered)
 

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) (threatened)
 

Green (Chelonia mydas) (endangered)
 

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) (threatened)
 

Possible — olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) 


(threatened)
 

The only place in the 

world that the Kemp’s 

Ridley nests is in the 

western Gulf of Mexico. 

They are now in the peak of 

their nesting season. One of 

the only foraging grounds 

for the Kemp’s Ridley is in 

the area of the oil spill. They are currently foraging there. 

Learn more about NOAA’s response to the BP oil spill 

at http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon. 

To learn more about NOAA, visit http://www.noaa.gov. 

June 22, 2010