Hook-and-line mortality of caught and released red snapper around oil and gas platform structural habitat

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine mortality rates of hook-and-line caught and released red snapper around oil and gas platform structural habitat. The study was conducted on a Mobil oil platform approximately 90 km south of Cameron, Louisiana, in 21 m water depth. Red snapper were caught by hook-and-line, treated (control, gas bladder deflation tagging, tagging with deflation), and released into a vertical holding net (9 m deep) for varying lengths of time (24, 30, 36, 48 h). Results indicated an average mortality rate of 20% at 21 m depth, with no significant difference between treatments, or time-in-net. There was a significant difference in mortality between season and the interaction between season and treatment with higher mortalities observed in summer versus fall. Gas bladder deflation did not significantly enhance survival of released red snapper at 21 m.