ABSTRACT

Red drum, commonly referred to as redfish or channel bass, is a popular sport and food fish that ranges from the Gulf of Mexico to Massachusetts on the Atlantic coast. 1 Although red drum are found along the Atlantic sea coast, the commercial fishery is centered in the Gulf of Mexico. Popularity of red drum as a food fish has increased in recent years, mainly becaused of the favorable publicity associated with blackened redfish, a Cajun recipe that is held in high esteem by culinary experts. As a result of the increased demand for red drum, a purse-seining industry began fishing large schools of red drum in the Gulf of Mexico, which quickly threatened fish stocks. In an effort to avoid depletion of red drum stocks, several states have restricted or banned commercial harvest of red drum. These actions have resulted in a shortage of red drum to meet market demands, and thus provides an opportunity for the development of red drum aquaculture.