April 2, 2015 — Even as members of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council discuss the mind-numbing minutiae of red snapper management at a meeting this week in Biloxi, other talks a thousand miles away may determine its real long-term future.
Alabama Marine Resources Director Chris Blankenship said he has made three trips to Washington D.C. since December, accompanied by Conservation Commissioner Gunter Guy once, to convince lawmakers that Gulf states can better manage the popular game fish to the greatest benefit of the species and all user groups that rely on it for commercial and recreational purposes.
If successful, their efforts will take the Gulf Council out of the red-snapper management process.
Blankenship said the confusing ad often frustrating result of federal management is made yet again clear this year when a 3.3 million pound Gulfwide quota increase may translate into but two days more than the nine recreational anglers had to catch red snapper in 2014.
He said the quota increase is negated as it relates to more fishing days for several reasons.
Firstly, the commercial sector takes 51 percent of the increase off the top.
Secondly, National Marine Fisheries Service estimates suggest the catch rate per day in the eastern Gulf is increasing more than expected.
Finally, with the recreational sector potentially being split into for-hire and private components through sector separation, increases in quota will also be split with the private component receiving roughly 60 percent of the total.
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