April 3, 2015 — The Seafood Harvesters of America object to a recent proposal from the Gulf State's fish and wildlife managers that would take control of red snapper fishery management from federal authorities.
The Harvester group says the scheme sets a "dangerous precedent that could unravel the responsible management of America’s fisheries under the landmark Magnuson-Stevens Act".
According to the Gulf plan — agreed upon by fish managers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — the proposal would:
– Extend state jurisdiction out to 200 miles for red snapper, taking precedence over Magnuson Stevens Act and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council
– Give states a free hand to change or eliminate commercial snapper management after a three year period
– Require the National Marine Fisheries service (NMFS) to continue to pay for survey and enforcement for red snapper, despite removing authority over the fishery from NMFS
“If this scheme becomes law, it could soon become difficult or impossible to legally buy American red snapper. Retailers, restaurants and grocery stores will be simply unable to provide consumers with the genuine American red snapper that is increasingly popular across the country," said the harvesters' president Chris Brown.
Read the full story at Undercurrent News