Initiated in October 2008, the Plan was developed over more than a decade. In 2012 a Fish Spawning Aggregation Working Group (FSAWG) was established with the support of the Central American Fisheries Organization (OSPESCA) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). The FSAMP was approved by WECAFC in 2023.

The approval of this regional plan reflects widespread concerns about ongoing declines associated with uncontrolled exploitation of the spawning aggregations of Nassau grouper (NG, Epinephelus striatus) and mutton snapper (MS, Lutjanus analis). The FSAMP recognizes the need to safeguard the long-term biological productivity, ecosystem function and socio-economic benefits (food, tourism, trade) of the aggregations of these two focal species, as well as other aggregating snappers (Lutjanidae) and groupers (Epinephelidae). Spawning aggregations are the only times such species spawn, making them essential for population persistence.

The two focal species were selected due to ongoing and increasing concerns over their conservation and fishery status. In recognition of its much-reduced populations, the Nassau grouper was included in the Endangered Species Act (2016) of the United States and listed on Annex III, as a threatened species, on the Cartagena Convention’s Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) in 2018. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the conservation status of the NG is ‘Endangered’ (2018) and of the MS is ‘Near Threatened’ (2015).

Although subjected to a range of protective measures, these are generally insufficient to stop declines or aid recovery in the NG and MS, although there are important and instructive exceptions. Due to strict management, recovery of the NG in the Cayman Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Mexico is ongoing. However, after more than a decade of protection with seasonal bans and spatial protection, The Bahamas and Belize have likely stemmed declines. While more information, for example on landings and other data, would be useful, it is also acknowledged that sufficient information is already available for management to proceed. Moreover, based on the best scientific knowledge, we now know that management of spawning aggregations must be effected as a PRECAUTIONARY measure because ‘hyperstability’ means aggregations can be compromised before declines in catches become evident.

 Effective protective measures commonly involve safeguarding the place and/or season of spawning aggregations, often in parallel with a sales ban during the reproductive season to aid enforcement. While we may not know many spawning site locations, this is not indispensable to implement seasonal protections, because we already have sufficient information (from scientific studies and fisher knowledge) on spawning seasonality for both focal species. Typically, NG spawn for a week or so during one or two full moon periods in a given year between December and March. Conversely, MS aggregate once or twice during a four-month period around May and June. We also know that for management to be effective, both regional and national approaches must be coordinated, implemented and enforced, due to the transboundary nature of adult and egg/larval movements and the shared nature of these stocks. 

Current initiatives towards implementation of the workplan of the FSAMP involve: three pilot case studies, the Big Fish Initiative Public Engagement Campaign, and fisher training.

Data collection in Cuba, The Bahamas and Belize form the basis of a standardized database for regional roll-out to better understand fisheries of aggregations and aggregating focal species; such case studies must be extended to other countries. The outreach campaign, ‘The Big Fish Initiative’, is key to fostering a greatly improved understanding and appreciation of aggregating species, and of the urgent need to manage them. It includes a comprehensive trilingual hub to access a wide range of information by decision-makers, fishers and consumers. The CRFM has initiated training and capacity-building for fishers to improve sustainable fishing practices in relation to spawning aggregation sites.