Azura partnered with Versar Inc. to conduct angler surveys at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) under the Biological Resources contract between GMI-AECOM JV and the U.S. Navy. Recreational fishing is a popular activity at NSGB, but there is a lack of information on the species, sizes, and quantities of fish caught at this installation. Therefore, the Navy Region Southeast Natural Resources Manager initiated this project to survey commonly consumed fish species at NSGB. The main goals of this project were to collect and appropriately record fish and angling data at NS Guantanamo Bay for analyses and to determine the adherence to established fish harvest regulations at NSGB and identify preliminary angling impacts to species caught in the waters of NS Guantanamo Bay.

Our team conducted seasonal intercept surveys at 15 stations around the Base during five sampling periods between October 2018 and July 2019. Data collected during the surveys included angler data (e.g., age, gender, fishing effort, bait used, days spent fishing within the year) and fish data (e.g., species, length, weight, numbers). The frequency and quantity of the fish species caught for consumption is dependent upon species. Well-represented fish species (e.g., those fish species caught in sufficient numbers to provide useful analytical data) with specific characteristics, were identified for analysis. Specific characteristics that are integral to sampling, included fish size, ecological niche, numbers caught, numbers harvested, species targeted, bait used, and gender and ages of anglers. The fish and angler data collected from each sampling event will be used to tailor fishing regulations at NSGB.

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