Description
The fishing and offshore energy industries have coexisted for decades in shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. This coexistence has been amicable and apparently not detrimental, as productivities of both industries have ranked highly in their respective global arenas since the 1950’s. Some are of the opinion that the offshore oil and gas industry has actually improved or even created fisheries due to the artificial reef effect that more than 4,000 offshore platforms and structures have had on the regional fish fauna. As a result of the artificial reef effect of structures, recreational and commercial fishers regularly use offshore platforms as fishing sites (e.g., Stanley and Wilson 1990). This interaction between oil and gas and fisheries endeavors is considered beneficial. However, other fisheries, particularly bottom trawling for shrimp, have had to yield ground to the platforms, pipelines, and vessels that comprise the offshore oil and gas industry.
