May 25, 2017 — Louisiana wildlife officials are proposing an experiment that could someday enable private recreational fishermen to catch highly sought Gulf of Mexico red snapper any time of year in federal waters.
The federal season, designed to conserve red snapper, is usually brief. This year it runs June 1-3. Critics say the short season hurts Gulf tackle shops, marinas and other businesses catering to private anglers.
“I asked Wildlife and Fisheries to develop a program that could eventually lead to Louisiana controlling Red Snapper fishing, even in what is determined to be federal waters,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Thursday news release. “This pilot program could not come soon enough as the federal government has limited anglers to just three days to fish red snapper this year.”
If the proposal is approved by federal regulators, Louisiana would choose 150 people to participate in a pilot program: They could fish in federal waters any time of the year, with an annual limit of 20 red snapper, Assistant Secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries Patrick Banks said in an interview.