Deepwater Program: Bluewater Fishing and OCS Activity: Interactions
Between the Fishing and Petroleum Industries in Deepwaters of the Gulf of
Mexico, Final Report

OCS Study MMS 2002-078

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, announces the availability of a new study report, Deepwater Program: Bluewater Fishing and OCS Activity: Interactions Between the Fishing and Petroleum Industries in Deepwaters of the Gulf of Mexico, Final Report.

This report presents results of a study that describe the activities of two industries simultaneously occurring in deepwater areas of the Gulf of Mexico: bluewater fishing and energy development. Objectives included the description of these activities and how they interact in the Gulf. Examples of relevant worldwide interactions are also presented. Commercial deepwater fishing activities that are addressed include trapping for golden crab, trawling for royal red shrimp, bottom-longlining for groupers and tilefishes, and surface-longlining for sharks and tunas. The primary deepwater commercial fishery in the Gulf of Mexico is pelagic-longlining for tunas. All phases of the deepwater offshore energy industry, including geophysical surveys, exploratory drilling, development/production, and decommissioning of facilities, could conflict with current deepwater fishing practices. Information about how the majority of interactions occur is discussed, and measures to help avert or lessen the severity of future conflicts between the fishing and energy industry are presented.

This report is available only in compact disc format. The discs are available from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, at a charge of $15.00 by referencing OCS Study MMS 2002-078. You will be able to obtain this report also from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. Here are the addresses. You may also inspect copies at selected Federal Depository Libraries.