Pacific rockfishes are caught with either nets or longlines, both of which also take a number of other sea creatures. Red snapper is depleted. The status of yellowtail snapper is unknown, but it is probably in fair shape. Fisheries are unmonitored in most countries. Management in the U.S. is generally poor.
Red snapper is overfished in the U.S., primarily because shrimp nets kill billions of juveniles.
Fishing for snappers entails significant bycatch of juveniles and nontargeted species. Many clams and oysters are farm-raised. The adequacy of management and monitoring varies widely from region to region. Taking shellfish often involves serious destruction of habitat on the ocean bottom. But many farmed oysters, especially on the West Coast, are grown on racks, which does not affect the bottom.