Saving Seafood

MISSISSIPPI: Senator Wicker takes on NOAA in Sun Herald Op-Ed

July 6, 2022 — U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS, took aim at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a July 3 op-ed for the Sun Herald.

In the op-ed, Wicker called out NOAA for proposed changes to the catch limit framework used for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper industry.

“Fishing for red snapper is a popular pastime on the Gulf Coast, one that brings together fishermen, boat makers, bait suppliers and restaurant owners,” writes Wicker. “This prosperous industry centers on three months of open fishing during the summer. To my dismay, regulators in Washington are now proposing a rule that could cut Mississippi’s season down to two weeks without any sound science.”

He writes that this is just another disappointing “raw deal” that NOAA has tried to give the state of Mississippi.

“Mississippi will not be alone in bearing the cost of NOAA’s poor methods. Anglers in Alabama stand to lose weeks if not months of their fishing season,” writes Wicker. “No state is ultimately safe from federal rules that disregard the best data. With the proposed rule now listed in the Federal Register, I would encourage all stakeholders to provide public comment on why NOAA got this wrong.”

NOAA’s public comment period ends on July 28, and the rule would take affect Jan. 1, 2023, if passed.

The proposed changes do not affect commercial ACLs, which would increase in 2023.

Read the full story at WDAM

South Atlantic Council Moving Forward to Address Red Snapper and Reduce Release Mortality in Snapper Grouper Fishery

June 22, 2022 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will continue to develop measures to revise catch levels for Red Snapper and help reduce release mortality for all species managed in the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Reductions in catch levels for Red Snapper are required to end overfishing. The most recent stock assessment for Red Snapper shows the stock remains overfished and is undergoing overfishing, primarily due to the increasing number of fish that die after being released throughout the year as the stock continues to rebuild. Council members considered public input and recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel during discussions at the Council meeting last week in Key West, Florida. The measures are proposed in Regulatory Amendment 35 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan and would apply to federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida.

Among measures the Council is considering to reduce release mortality for the snapper grouper fishery are gear modifications, seasons, and area closures. Options for gear modifications include disallowing the use of electric reels (exceptions would be made for individuals with physical disabilities) and requiring single hook rigs for the recreational sector. Alternative timing for the Red Snapper recreational season, options for a recreational snapper grouper season, and periodic area closures for the snapper grouper fishery could also be considered. Council members requested additional information and analyses and will continue discussion during the September 2022 meeting.

While not specific to Regulatory Amendment 35, Council members also stressed the need to expand outreach and education efforts for Best Fishing Practices, including the use of descending devices, proper handling, and other measures to improve the likelihood that released fish survive. 

The Council approved two amendments for public hearings. Snapper Grouper Amendment 51 includes measures to end overfishing for Snowy Grouper. A reduction in harvest of approximately 43% is needed to end overfishing. In addition to modifying catch limits, the amendment proposes to revise sector allocations using updated recreational landings, shorten the current recreational season (May 1 – August 31), and modify recreational accountability measures. Snapper Grouper Amendment 52 includes proposed management measures for Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish. The amendment allows for an increase in catch levels for Golden Tilefish based on the most recent stock assessment and would modify the recreational bag limit, season, and accountability measures for Blueline Tilefish. Public hearings for both amendments will be scheduled for later this summer via webinar and also held during the Council’s September 2022 meeting.

After considering public comment and recommendations from its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel, the Council modified management measures proposed for Greater Amberjack through Snapper Grouper Amendment 49. The stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, allowing for an increase in catch levels. An action to increase the recreational minimum size limit from 28” fork length was removed from the amendment. Actions to revise catch levels and sector allocations, reduce the commercial minimum size limit, modify commercial trip limits during split seasons, and revise the April spawning season closure remain. The Council will address the amendment again during its September meeting where the amendment is scheduled to be voted on for final approval.

Other Actions

Council members continued to hear concerns about the Dolphin fishery from fishermen and stakeholders. The Council is responsible for management of Dolphin in federal waters from Maine to the Florida Keys. Given the broad management area, expansive seasonal migratory patterns, and relatively short life span, management of Dolphin presents a unique challenge. To help the Council address these challenges, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center presented plans to begin work on a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for the Dolphin fishery. The project goal is to develop an index-based management procedure that may provide more robust analytical support for catch levels and management evaluations for the fishery. The Council prioritized collaboration on the project, including assisting with stakeholder meetings to be held this summer and fall. 

The Council is continuing to develop Regulatory Amendment 3 for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan with options to modify the applicable geographic range of the minimum size limit for Dolphin as well as recreational bag and vessel limits. The Council will address Dolphin management during its December 2022 meeting. 

During last week’s meeting, the Council received key findings from an initial program evaluation plan for its Citizen Science Program as well as project updates. The Citizen Science Program’s SAFMC Release Project allows fishermen the opportunity to provide information via a mobile app about releases of shallow water grouper species and Red Snapper. Additional information is available from the Council’s website: https://safmc.net/citizen-science/safmc-release/. 

Additional information about the June Council meeting, including committee and Full Council reports, is available from the Council’s website at:https://safmc.net/events/2022-june-council-meeting/. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 12-16, 2022, at the Town and Country Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. 

 

Coast Guard Searches for Poachers From Mexico Stealing Fish From U.S.

May 24, 2022 — At Hooked on Seafood, red snapper fetches a premium price. For fishermen, the tasty fruit of the Gulf of Mexico is like striking gold.

“Red snapper is the hottest commodity in the U.S., here in this border,” Hooked on Seafood owner Chris Johnson said.

But its high demand attracts schools of poachers from across the border.

“They’re taking our money out of our waters and selling it right back to us, and we’re paying to do it every day,” Johnson continued.

He’s a fishmonger and fisherman on Texas’ South Padre Island. He bellows a decades-long lament — illegal fishing operations from Mexico zip through the boundary waters poaching red snapper, shark, and shrimp by the thousands.

Read the full story at Seafood News

SAFMC: Citizen Science Project Expands to Include Red Snapper

April 19, 2022 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Fishermen releasing Red Snapper along the South Atlantic coast can now help contribute data considered for effective management of the stock as it continues to rebuild. SAFMC Release, a project of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Citizen Science Program that offers fishermen the opportunity to provide data on shallow water grouper species being released, has now expanded to include Red Snapper. Information, including length of the fish, depth of release, optional location, any observed shark predation, and release treatment (e.g., use of a descending device or venting tool) is provided using the SciFish mobile app. 

The number of released fish is growing along the South Atlantic coast due to many factors including increasing fishing pressure and regulations. This is especially true for species like Red Snapper where seasons are very limited for both recreational and commercial fishermen as the stock continues to rebuild. While dockside intercepts and other traditional data collection efforts provide information about species that are landed, very little data are available on released fish. As a result, there is an increasing need to document release length and discard mortality rates for shallow water grouper and Red Snapper populations. SAFMC Release allows private recreational fishermen, charter captains, and commercial fishermen an easy-to-use tool designed to fill data gaps. 

The decision to expand the SAFMC Release project to include Red Snapper was influenced by feedback from fishermen targeting snapper grouper species managed by the Council. The SAFMC Release project began as a pilot project in 2019, with fishermen logging release information on Scamp Grouper. In 2021, the project expanded to include all shallow water grouper (Black Grouper, Coney, Gag, Graysby, Red Grouper, Red Hind, Rock Hind, Scamp Grouper, Yellowfin Grouper and Yellowmouth Grouper) and the project was housed under the citizen science mobile app, SciFish. SciFish is a customizable citizen science mobile app that will eventually house multiple projects developed by state and federal marine resources agencies and regional fishery management councils. As partners in the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program, data standards are maintained for the projects.

“The expansion of the SAFMC Release project to include Red Snapper is timely and provides a unique opportunity for fishermen to fill data gaps,” said Council Chair Mel Bell. “The project is not designed to estimate the total number of fish being released, nor does it aim to collect information on catch levels or catch rates,” explained Chairman Bell. “Instead, data collected through SAFMC Release will help managers better characterize the size of released fish and survival rates.” Collecting data on released fish has been identified as a research priority for the Council’s Citizen Science Program and in various stock assessments. “The success of this project relies on fishermen that are willing to participate in providing these data as fish are released year-round.” 

To participate in SAFMC Release and begin sharing data, fishermen can visit the SAFMC Release project webpage for additional details or contact Julia Byrd, Citizen Science Program Manager at Julia.byrd@safmc.net or 843-302-8493. 

 

Access to red snapper in South Carolina waters could improve with new legislation

February 23, 2022 — Nearly 13 years ago, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determined the South Atlantic red snapper stock was overfished and undergoing overfishing. The fishery was closed in 2010 with a 35-year rebuilding plan put in place.

Ever since, red snapper have been virtually inaccessible for recreational anglers in South Atlantic waters which stretch from North Carolina southward through the east coast of Florida.

Save for occasional mini-seasons ranging from three to nine days in some, but not all, of those years, anglers have been forced to release red snapper.

As the numbers and size of red snapper have increased over the past dozen years, so has frustration among recreational anglers not only in South Carolina but throughout the South Atlantic Region.

Red snapper are almost exclusively caught in federal waters (3-200 miles offshore), typically in depths of about 60-120 feet off South Carolina. The reef species is very susceptible to barotrauma, which occurs when the rapid change in pressure as fish are reeled in causes the gases in the fish’s body to expand.

Read the full story at The State

U.S. blocks Mexican fishermen from ports, cites years of illegal fishing in U.S. waters

February 9, 2022 — Along the U.S.-Mexico maritime border, the incursions occur almost daily. The boats are outfitted with small outboard motors, powerful enough to flee pursuing Border Patrol and Coast Guard vessels.

The Mexican skiffs are loaded not with drugs or migrants, but with red snapper, sea turtles and sharks.

U.S. officials say the threat posed by Mexican fishermen casting their nets illegally in U.S. waters has grown so acute that for the first time in years, they’ve banned Mexican fishing vessels from entering U.S. ports.

“These vessels … will be denied port access and services,” said Lauren Gaches, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She said the sanction was being applied in response to Mexico’s “continued failure to combat unauthorized fishing activities by small hulled vessels in U.S. waters.” It took effect Monday.

Read the full story at the Washington Post

Council Exploring Options to Reduce Release Mortality and a Holistic Approach to Management of Snapper Grouper Species

December 15, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are beginning to explore ways to reduce the number of fish that are released in the Snapper Grouper Management Complex and improve survival rates for those fish that are released. The multi-species complex includes 55 species of snappers, groupers, porgies, grunts, and amberjacks. “We simply have to get a handle on these regulatory discards,” explained Council Chair Mel Bell during the Council’s meeting last week in Beaufort, North Carolina. “Fishermen also play a key role in improving the survival rate for released fish and ultimately determining the future of the fishery.” The Council has consistently encouraged the use of Best Fishing Practices including a descending device requirement and hook modifications for snapper grouper fishermen in federal waters in place since July 15, 2020.

According to the latest stock assessment for Red Snapper, discard mortality (the number of fish that are released and die) accounts for 90% of the overall fishing mortality, primarily from the recreational fishery as anglers continue to fish year-round for other snapper grouper species. Large numbers of discards affect managers’ ability to prevent overfishing while also reducing the number of fish that can be kept and landed by the fishery. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee determined the Red Snapper stock continues to be overfished and undergoing overfishing largely due to discard mortality, and in September provided the Council a total Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) for Red Snapper of 25,000 pounds. Under law, the Council may not set an annual catch limit that exceeds that ABC, leaving little room for an opening of the fishery when the updated ABC is implemented. However, given that the majority of Red Snapper mortality is due to discarded fish, the Council recognizes that reducing discard losses is necessary to prevent overfishing and could possibly increase the amount of fish available to harvest.

The Council is moving forward with a Release Mortality Reduction Framework Amendment to address the Red Snapper ABC recommendation while looking at possible ways to reduce release mortality and end overfishing. After reviewing input from its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel, Council members discussed ideas for reducing the number of fish that are released and increasing survivorship of released fish, including: restricting access to specific areas (spatial or depth) where Red Snapper congregate; gear modifications such as requirements for single hooks, leader lengths, and lines per person; daily weight limits of per person; and seasonal openings. “The Council has a legal mandate to end overfishing and address the Acceptable Biological Catch level from its SSC,” said Jessica McCawley, Chair of the Council’s Snapper Grouper Committee. “We know some of these ideas may be of concern to fishermen and certainly welcome input as we consider things such as regional differences or sector differences in this fishery. One size may not fit all.”

The Council will begin soliciting public input and suggestions for how to best reduce the number of released fish and improve release mortality in early 2022 and discussions will continue during its March 2022 meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Over the last year the Council has been investigating recreational permits or licenses for the Snapper Grouper fishery as a tool to help identify the universe of fishermen and improve data collection. The Council will receive a final report from a Recreational Reporting Workgroup during its March 2022 meeting.

The Council is also considering a holistic approach to managing the Snapper Grouper fishery and approved the use of a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) to robustly evaluate management impacts across the fishery. The Council intends to use the MSE to evaluate varying strategies to achieve management objectives to rebuild overfished stocks and prevent overfishing, while balancing the needs for fishery access, resource use, and accommodating sector and geographical differences in the fishery. Updates on the MSE will be provided to the Council as the project gets underway.

Other Business

The Council approved Amendment 32 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan with actions affecting Gulf Migratory Group Cobia, including the Florida East Coast Zone. The fishery is managed jointly by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. A recent stock assessment for Gulf Migratory Group Cobia indicates the stock is not overfished but is undergoing overfishing. Actions in the amendment include a reduction in the daily possession limit from 2 fish to 1 fish per person per day with a vessel limit of two fish per trip. The reductions would apply to both recreational and commercial sectors. The amendment would also increase the minimum size limit to 36 inches fork length for the Florida East Coast Zone. Amendment 32 must be approved by the Secretary of Commerce before measures are implemented.

Additional information about the December 2021 Council meeting, including Story Maps, committee reports, and other materials is available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for March 7-11, 2022, at the Westin Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia.

 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announces closure for red snapper fishing starting November 15

November 12, 2021 — Starting November 15, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will close red snapper fishing in state waters. According to a release from the agency, red snapper fishing will reopen in January 2022 in Texas waters, while federal water will remain closed until the summer.

Under an agreement between TPWD and the National Marine Fisheries Service, TPWD can establish the opening and closing dates of the annual red snapper fishery in federal waters, while also continuing to manage red snapper fishing in state water. As part of this agreement, however, Texas must close the entire fishery when the state’s allotted poundage is reached for the year.

Read the full story at LMT Online

 

Commercial Reopening for Red Snapper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on November 2, 2021, for Four Days

October 28, 2021 — The following was release by NOAA Fisheries:

Commercial Reopening for Red Snapper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on November 2, 2021, for Four Days

What/When:

•The commercial harvest of red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 2, 2021, and close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 6, 2021. During the four-day reopening, the commercial trip limit for red snapper is 75 pounds gutted weight.

Why This Reopening Is Happening:

•The 2021 commercial catch limit for red snapper is 124,815 pounds whole weight. On September 14, 2021, the commercial catch limit for the 2021 season was projected to be met, and NOAA Fisheries closed commercial harvest.  However, new information indicates that the red snapper commercial catch limit was not met.

•As a reminder, recreational harvest is closed. Therefore, the recreational bag and possession limit for red snapper in or from South Atlantic federal waters is zero.

After The Reopening:

•The 2022 fishing season for the red snapper commercial sector opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 11, 2022, unless otherwise specified.

•The 2022 recreational season, which consists of weekends only (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), begins on the 2nd Friday in July, unless otherwise specified.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at  https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#_top.

Sign Up for Text Message Alerts

NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message and data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Text alerts you may receive include immediate fishery openings and closures and any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly.

Sign up for one or more of the fisheries-related alerts below by texting the following to 888777:

•Gulf of Mexico Recreational: Text GULFRECFISH

•Gulf of Mexico Commercial: Text GULFCOMMFISH

•South Atlantic Recreational: Text SATLRECFISH

•South Atlantic Commercial: Text SATLCOMMFISH

•Caribbean: Text CARIBFISH

Other Contacts

Media: Kim Amendola (727) 551-5705, Allison Garrett (727) 551-5750