July 20, 2015 — Rep. Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) on Thursday introduced legislation that would transfer control of Gulf of Mexico red-snapper stocks from the National Marine Fisheries Service to a consortium established by the five Gulf states.
Graves said similar protocols have been successfully implemented along the East Coast and in Alaska, adding that “state-based management will result in more frequent stock assessments and improved regional collaboration in the collection and use of timely fishery data.”
Fisheries directors from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have grown displeased with federal red-snapper management, and began a concerted effort earlier this year to wrest control of the fishery from NMFS.
Gulf of Mexico recreational anglers have seen their access to booming red snapper stocks dwindle in recent years. In 2015, the private-boat recreational season stretched only 10 days, even though the overall harvest quota was the largest in history.
Read the full story at The Times Picayune