During the project's first phase in 1997, the Fisheries Service tagged 9,733 adult red drum with either a dart tag, a belly tag or both. The fish were captured and released between Mobile, Ala., and Galveston, Texas. In 1987, Fisheries Service scientists determined that the Gulf's red drum stock was severely overfished. In addition, the Gulf states have further restricted fishing in their waters to allow more juvenile red drum to join the offshore spawning stock. We use a small plane to spot schools of red drum in order to direct a contract fishing vessel that sets a purse seine net around a portion of the school.
Scientists then use hand-held nets to remove the fish from the seine.
According to Nichols, the research team will employ several measures to lessen the potential for captured fish to become stressed or die. The Fisheries Service is an agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Fisheries Service conducts scientific research and provides services and products to support fisheries management, fisheries development, trade and industry assistance, enforcement, and protected species and habitat conservation programs.