Long-Term Impacts to the Federally Permitted For-Hire Headboat Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico Following the 2010 British Petroleum-Deepwater Horizon ("BP") Oil Disaster

Abstract

To quantify possible long-term impacts from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, this study analyzed data procured from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s mandatory Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) reporting program, which collected economic and catch information from federally-permitted headboats in the GOM. SRHS data were analyzed from two time-frames: Pre-Spill (2007-2009) and Post-Spill (2011-2017). By using vessels present and active in all years for the two time-series (41 vessels; 63,960 trips), impacts to the GOM were traced through those vessels and how they weathered the BP oil spill. Three cluster areas studied were: Texas (Western GOM; unaffected by oil dispersion), Mississippi- Louisiana-Alabama-Panhandle of Florida (MS-LA-AL-PFL), and Western Florida excluding the panhandle (WFL). Results indicated that the two eastern Gulf of Mexico study areas experienced extensive changes to catch compositions, trip activity, and angler levels; the Western Gulf of Mexico (Texas) had few significant changes to most variables. No significant changes were found in species diversity, richness, or dominance. Further research is recommended to continue to track impacts and recovery of the headboat niche.