April 14, 2017 — The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council last week set a threshold for shrimp vessel permits in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
According to an amendment approved at the council’s meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, if the number of permits drops below 1,175, a panel will form to discuss the issuance of more permits. The minimum permit threshold was set at 1,072.
Myron Fischer, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries senior adviser and one of the 17 voting members of the council, said he hopes the council will freeze the permits when they drop to 1,175 rather than waiting for them to drop to 1,072.
Currently there are about 1,440 permits with about 384 issued in Louisiana, Fischer said.
Last month, council members met with shrimpers to discuss the amendment, and the overwhelming majority of fishermen said the council should issue more permits sooner and the threshold should be much higher.