PREDICTING RECREATIONAL FISHING USE OF OFFSHORE PETROLEUM PLATFORMS IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO

With ever-increasing recreational fishing demands on natural habitats, artificial reefs provide an effective means for delivering additional opportunities for marine and freshwater fishermen. This study is based on the premise that a properly site artificial reefs for optimal human recreational use, a predictive model based upon the marine travel patterns and behavior of marine recreational fishermen is needed.;This study investigated the recreational user patterns of selected petroleum platforms structures in the Central Gulf of Mexico. The petroleum structures offshore from the Louisiana coastline provide a unique research tool. Although intended to facilitate the exploration and recovery of hydrocarbons, petroleum platforms also serve as defacto artificial reefs, providing habitat for numerous species of fish and other marine life.;Petroleum platforms were found to be the principal fishing destinations within the study area. On-site findings reveal that marine recreational fishermen were as mobile on water, as they are on land. Fishermen traveled nearly fifty miles on water in pursuit of their recreation. Several platforms were fished during a typical outing.;On-site findings were used to assist in the development of a predictive model. In attempting to predict the number of recreational craft observed at a study platform, several variables were found to be useful. They included: (1) distance between the closest launch site and a study platform, (2) the number of platforms associated with a study platform, (3) the number of platforms situated between the closest launch site and the study platform (intervening opportunities) and (4) the number of launch sites likely to be used in reaching the offshore study platform. The age, size, color and depth of water at a platform were found to be poor predictors of platform visitation.;This research used data gathered from a previous study that addressed the recreational fishing use of offshore oil and gas structures (Ditton and Auyong 1984). On-site data was also collected for use in this research. The primary research objective was to generate a predictive model that can be applied to artificial reef development efforts elsewhere.