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The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, has declined markedly throughout its geographic range over the last decade. This is attributed mainly to overfishing, particularly on its annual spawning aggregations. Although various forms of management have been introduced, including size limits and seasonal or area closures, with few exceptions fisheries landings continue to decline and few animals are censused by fishery-independent sampling. These findings suggest that protective measures are inadequate or insufficient. Many who work on the species throughout its range have expressed concerns over these declines, and the species is one of the few marine fishes to be listed as 'Endangered' on the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Red List of Threatened Flora and Fauna. A meeting of experts on the species at the 2006 GCFI proceedings endorsed the widespread opinion that prognosis for improvement, given the current level of protection and enforcement, is poor.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council and the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations are co-hosting a special, bi-lingual, session on the Nassau grouper that will consist of a small number of invited overviews on the biology, fishery, management and conservation of the species, including history and current status. These summaries will form the basis of a Panel discussion on possible activities and actions to improve the status of the species, including consideration of a pan-Caribbean strategy for its management. If possible, a White Paper on the species, identifying a way forward and future information needs, will be drafted. Poster presentations on any aspect of the species are welcomed and the Panel discussion following keynote presentations is open to all. For more information, please email Miguel Rolon or Yvonne Sadovy.

GCFI Special Session on the Nassau Grouper