Bob Zales II is a charter fishing captain and has been nominated to serve on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Science & Statistical Committee was presented information to consider adding the recreational 1 million pounds of red snapper that was not harvested in 2010 to the 2011 quota.
Due to how the request was framed by the National Marine Fishery Service and the updated presentation was not provided to the SSC until the day of the meeting, the SSC made an initial recommendation that the 2011 acceptable biological catch (ABC) not be changed until the standard assessment of 2012 is completed.
That's because there is no new science to determine the status of the stock as it relates to the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill, and due to what is required now of the newly implemented Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule and the way the request from the Gulf Council was worded. We still have only 48 days for red snapper this year.
This article is partially re-published with permission from Seafood.com News, a subscription news service.