Characterization of the southeastern US black sea bass ( Centropristis striata) pot commercial fishery and implications for western North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis) management and policy

A vital component of marine policy is the conservation and management of diverse marine resources. In the southeastern US, commercial fishermen target black sea bass ( Centropristis striata) with pots from North Carolina to Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the fall through spring fishing season, western North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis) distribution overlaps the black sea bass commercial pot fishery. Fishermen interviews revealed that the number of pots set ranged from 3 to 240 and the number of pots set per trawl ranged from 1 to 18. Generally, the amount of gear increased from south to north.