Red snapper Archives - Page 19 of 42

FLORIDA: Shark fishing workshops, red snapper announcement coming soon

July 9, 2018 — In April, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bridged a controversial topic among Florida’s millions of beachgoers and anglers — shore-based shark fishing. Emotional public comment presented by more than 25 speakers convinced the 7-member governor-appointed volunteer commission to request FWC staff to develop more comprehensive regulations to address shore-based shark fishing from the Sunshine State’s more than 2,000 miles of beaches.

That day in April, no one logged any comment in support of shore-based shark fishing. And I warned you all, if you don’t show up, your voice will not be heard.

Now, the FWC has announced a series of public workshops around the state beginning next week to further address the practice as a step in the process towards developing regulations aimed at conserving sharks better and protecting beachgoers, too.

The problem, according to recommendations provided to the FWC by David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter on Twitter), noted shark researcher at Simon Fraser University and marine conservation biologist and science writer, is several species commonly caught from the beach do not survive the fight very well, and if they do, they may not survive the photo session or release.

“Two of the top ways that angling stress kills fish are long fight times which exhaust the fish and air exposure,” Shiffman wrote in recommendations he provided to FWC — “Promoting Conservation-Friendly Shark Handling Practices in the Fishing Capital of the World: A Science-Based Proposal to Revise Florida’s Land-Based Shark Fishing Regulations.”

Read the full story at Treasure Coast News

Lionfish trapping may one day help South Carolina against ocean predator

July 6, 2018 — A garden full of poisonous, stinging lionfish — that’s what one diver said he found on the bottom offshore South Carolina.

The predators are taking over by the thousands, killing off snappers, groupers and other valued fish catches.

Traps to cut their numbers were first proposed three years ago. Now, literally billions of laid lionfish eggs later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is about to give the go-ahead on a permit to set out 100 cages to study whether the traps can put a dent in their numbers.

None of the traps will be off South Carolina, where the original proposal called for some. But the study is at least a first step to maybe slowing down a fish that veteran Florida Keys trap fisherman Bill Kelly calls “the most aggressive invasive species that we’ll see in my lifetime.”

The lionfish is a seductively beautiful scorpion fish. It’s so colorfully camouflaged that it blends almost invisibly into the coral, like a rattlesnake blends into brush.

Read the full story at the Post and Courier

Congress is considering big changes to longstanding federal fisheries regulatory act

July 2, 2018 — Eric Brazer likens federal fisheries management to a bank account held jointly by commercial fisherman, charter fishermen, restaurants and others who depend on a specific fish for their livelihood.

If one user overdraws the account, there is nothing left for the others, said Brazer, deputy director of the Galveston, Texas-based Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance, which includes commercial snapper and grouper fishermen from around the Gulf.

Brazer’s organization is one of many groups keeping a close eye on two bills being debated in Congress. A House bill by Rep. Don Young, an Alaska Republican, and a Senate bill by Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, could lead to significant changes in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Destin Mayor Gary Jarvis, former president of the Destin Charter Boat Association, has been in regular contact with U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, and other members of the Florida Congressional Delegation over the two bills.

Jarvis said the association doesn’t want want to see a major overhaul of Magnuson-Stevens.

“It is a legacy piece of legislation that does need to be revised from time to time,” he said. “But they are attempting to gut some things in the Magnuson-Stevens Act to change how fisheries are managed.”

Jarvis said charter fishing brings more than $175 million a year to the regional economy. For the economic benefits to continue, there must be sufficient numbers of red snapper, triggerfish, amberjack, grouper and other popular fish species, Jarvis said.

“The Magnuson-Stevens Act has clear-cut management tools and what is happening is political maneuvering to weaken these existing rules,” he said.

Jarvis said he fears charter fishermen won’t be given a designated share of the catch limits. He also likened catch limits to a joint bank account.

“What is happening is that they are trying to make it easier for one user group to overdraw the account,” he said.

Read the full story at the Pensacola News Journal

Mark Eustis: Magnuson — act now

June 26, 2018 — If you are not tracking changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, it’s time to put it on your radar. Washington lobbyists working for the recreational fishing industry are trying to rewrite America’s fisheries laws to serve their own interests, and commercial fishermen could be left at the dock.

Gulf Coast groups that once were grass-roots conservationists are now a multi-million-dollar advocacy business — complete with a political action committee funded by recreational marine manufacturers. This PAC is lobbying hard to change Magnuson, and the results are two new bills in Congress — S. 1520 and H.R. 200.

Among many, many changes, each of these acts “modifies the annual catch limit requirement to allow for more adaptive approaches” to “increase access” for recreational anglers. And most importantly for commercial fishermen, they allow for reallocation based on “socioeconomic benefits.” This is a zero-sum taking that will affect commercial fisheries. Eric Brazer said it well here in “Sustainability in the crosshairs” (NF Oct. 2017):

“Reallocating more fish to the recreational sector at the expense of the commercial sector does nothing to solve the fundamental problems… Nobody knows precisely how many recreational red snapper fishermen there are or how many fish they catch.”

Read the full op-ed at National Fisherman

Florida anglers can improve harvest data from their phones

June 19, 2018 — Florida anglers can improve harvest data from their phones.

Anglers along Florida’s Gulf coast have been heading offshore over the past week to enjoy the start of Florida’s 40-day red snapper season, serving as a reminder of how important recreational fishing is to the state’s economy and heritage. While recreational fishermen as a group often have a wide range of opinions — such as what bait is best to use, what areas produce the best bites, or how big that fish really was — one area they’ve agreed upon is that the data federal fisheries managers have been using to regulate fishing is pretty lousy.

Fortunately, innovative new data collection approaches are being implemented this year that will allow anglers the opportunity to report their catch and help improve the data managers need to sustainably manage these fisheries. In other words, for anglers who have rightfully complained in the past about poor fisheries data, it’s put up or shut up time.

As the season begins, Florida’s more than three million licensed anglers have the opportunity to play a critical role in improving recreational harvest data by registering for the Gulf Reef Fish Survey, which is required for those targeting reef fish species, and by voluntarily recording their red snapper catches and trips on the iAngler Gulf Red Snapper smartphone app.

Data collected through the iAngler Gulf Red Snapper app, developed in partnership by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Snook and Gamefish Foundation (SGF), will help fish and wildlife officials make more informed decisions as they manage this Florida fishery. Anglers fishing in Gulf waters can use the free app to track trips, log their catches, and the condition of the fish when and if it was released. Florida anglers can also monitor the locations they made their catches, the time of day and the type of fish they caught, along with photos.

The app not only provides anglers with fishing regulations across the country, a 48-hour weather forecast, and a 4-day tide report right at their fingertips, it’s also a helpful tool for the state to manage fishing data, as well as providing a platform for anglers to revisit their past trips and discover patterns from good and not so good fishing days.

For anglers on Florida’s east coast, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) also partnered with the SGF to create MyFishCount.

Read the full opinion piece at the Pensacola News Journal

SAFMC Approves Management Changes for Atlantic Cobia

June 18, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved an amendment to remove Atlantic cobia from the current federal management plan and transfer management responsibility to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The amendment is designed to prevent inconsistent regulations in state and federal waters and improve flexibility in the management of Atlantic cobia from Georgia northward to New York. Amendment 31 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fishery Management Plan was approved by the Council during its meeting this week in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the amendment would allow for the fishery north of Florida to be managed solely by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), an interstate management body that manages shared migratory fisheries.

The majority of Atlantic cobia are harvested in state waters, within 3 miles of shore in North Carolina and Virginia. They can also be found offshore and are found more in federal waters off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina as they migrate northward to spawn. Cobia harvested along the east coast of Florida are considered part of the Gulf of Mexico stock and are managed separately.

The recreational harvest of Atlantic cobia has increased in recent years. The recreational fishery closed in federal waters in June 2016 after landings estimates exceeded the annual catch limit the previous year and closed again in January 2017, as state landings were expected to exceed the federal catch limits. The recreational fishery is currently open in federal waters, but subject to closure by NOAA Fisheries should catch estimates exceed the annual catch limit currently in place. Fish harvested in state waters count against the annual catch limit.

The Council approved the amendment after members reviewed preliminary results from a recent Cobia Stock ID Workshop held in April and considered recommendations from its Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel. The Council delayed a decision on the amendment during its March 2018 meeting in anticipation of the workshop results and advisory panel meeting held in April. The Council also requested more information on how the ASMFC intends to address regulations in federal waters prior to the amendment’s approval. Public comments on the amendment were also considered during the March and June Council meetings.

The current management boundary for Atlantic cobia adjacent to the Florida/Georgia state line was established following a 2013 cobia stock assessment, resulting in an annual catch limit of 620,000 pounds. Fishermen and others have expressed concerns about the boundary change since that time and requested the Cobia Stock ID Workshop be held as part of the upcoming stock assessment for Atlantic cobia. During the 3-day workshop that included scientists and fishermen, participants reviewed the cobia stock structure and considered whether changes were required. Several new data sources were considered including additional genetic studies, updated conventional tagging analyses, and new telemetry and satellite tagging data. Preliminary results from the Stock ID Workshop suggest that a change in the management boundary for cobia is not warranted. The benchmark stock assessment is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

The ASMFC implemented an interstate management plan for Atlantic cobia that became effective in state waters from Georgia to New York in April 2018 and aligns with current federal regulations for Atlantic cobia. Under the ASMFC Interstate Plan, state-specific allocations are established based on the current federal annual catch limit, with North Carolina and Virginia receiving the majority of the allocation based on previous landings.

Individual states have submitted plans for Atlantic cobia (including regulations for a minimum size limit, vessel limit, and season) to the ASMFC based on those allocations. The state regulations are designed to keep harvest levels below the allocated state-specific pounds of Atlantic cobia. At their spring meeting, the ASMFC began work on Amendment 1 to their interstate management plan for Atlantic cobia, which will address management measures in federal waters.

Red Snapper

The Council received an update from NOAA Fisheries on the status of Amendment 43, approved by the Council last year with the intent to allow a red snapper season in 2018. The amendment is currently under review by NOAA Fisheries and public comment is being accepted on the proposed rule until June 18, 2018. Over 2,000 comments have been received thus far with the majority in support of opening the fishery. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, NOAA Fisheries indicated the red snapper season could open in August, with a recreational bag limit of 1 fish per person/day, no minimum size limit, and a commercial trip limit of 75 pounds gutted weight. The Council discussed timing for announcing any opening and noted the need to allow more lead-time in announcing the opening of the recreational fishery versus the commercial fishery. Any announcement will come from NOAA Fisheries following the comment period.

Other Business

The Council approved several draft amendments for public scoping. Meetings/webinars will be scheduled for later this year and publicized as they are finalized. The amendments include options for modifications to for-hire charter permits, yellowtail snapper management, recreational permits and reporting, best fishing practices, and other measures.

The Council also received notification during the meeting week that an amendment requiring trip level weekly electronic reporting for federally permitted charter vessels was approved by the Secretary of Commerce. The implementation date for the new requirements will be announced later this year. The Council held an electronic reporting training session for charter captains during its meeting and will continue to offer training via webinar and in-person sessions in Florida this summer. Additional information is available at: http://safmc.net/electronic-reporting-projects/.

Final Committee Reports, a meeting Story Map, Meeting Report and other materials from this week’s Council meeting are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 17-21, 2018 in Charleston, SC.

Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Members Engage with Lawmakers, Represent Gulf in Washington

June 15, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

Members of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, representing Gulf fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants, travelled to Washington last Wednesday to participate in a roundtable hosted by the House Committee on Natural Resources. While in Washington, Alliance members also represented Gulf Coast seafood by participating in the 43^rd Annual NOAA Fish Fry as the main event of Capitol Hill Ocean Week.

The round-table discussion was led by Natural Resources Committee Chairman, Rob Bishop (R-Utah), and addressed legislation that impedes economic growth and development along working waterfronts.

“Working waterfronts and our nation’s vast ocean resources are essential to coastal communities, generating billions of dollars each year,” read a statement issued by Chairman Bishop on the meeting. “We heard from real people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy ocean economy and their message was clear: without a rational regulatory framework, responsible economic growth and success is at risk.”

Participants also discussed legislation aimed at easing the pressure of unnecessary regulation, most notably the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018 introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn, (R-Fla.).

“What the Gulf Coast needs is fair, equitable management of key species,” said GCSA founding member and Gulf Coast restauranteur, Dewey Destin. “Sustainable management is paramount to the survival of communities along the Gulf Coast, and we were able to express that while in Washington.”

At the NOAA Fish Fry, Alliance members drew awareness to Gulf-specific issues — like the management of Gulf red snapper. They also had the opportunity to communicate those issues to high-ranking government officials. Members spoke with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and cooked Gulf red snapper and oysters alongside President Trump’s nominee to head NOAA, Barry Myers.

Alliance members that travelled to Washington include: Dewey and Parker Destin of the Dewey Destin Restaurant Group, David Krebs, President of Ariel Seafoods, and Greg Abrams, Owner of Greg Abrams Seafood.

Learn more about the GCSA by visiting their site here.

Commercial Closure for Gray Triggerfish in South Atlantic Federal Waters on June 13, 2018

June 11, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of gray triggerfish in South Atlantic federal waters will close at 12:01 A.M., LOCAL TIME, ON JUNE 13, 2018. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of gray triggerfish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

* The 2018 January through June commercial catch limit is 156,162 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the January through June commercial catch limit on JUNE 13, 2018. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

AFTER THE CLOSURE:

* The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.

* The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for gray triggerfish does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 A.M., LOCAL TIME, ON JUNE 13, 2018, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

* The commercial gray triggerfish July through December fishing season in the South Atlantic will open on July 1, 2018, with a catch limit of 156,162 pounds whole weight.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register.

Reminder: SAFMC Meeting Next Week in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

June 6, 2018 — The following has been released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting

June 10-15, 2018 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Unless otherwise indicated, members of the public are invited to attend all meetings.

Meeting materials, including agendas, overviews, presentations, and documents are now available via the Council’s website.

Meeting Location:

Bahia Mar Doubletree by Hilton

801 Seabreeze Boulevard

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Phone: 855/610-8733

FLORIDA: Red Snapper Season Starts June 11 in Gulf

June 5, 2018 — The recreational red snapper season will start June 11 in Gulf state and federal waters and remain open through July 20, closing July 21. This year and next year are unique compared to previous years in that Florida’s Gulf recreational red snapper season applies to harvest from both state and federal waters.

Anglers fishing from private recreational boats will need to have their recreational saltwater fishing license (unless exempt) and will need to have Gulf Reef Fish Angler on their license (includes those that are exempt) to target red snapper or other certain reef fish in Gulf state and federal waters (excluding Monroe County). You can get this printed on a license at no cost at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by visiting any location you can purchase a license.

For-hire operations that do not have a federal reef fish permit may also participate in this 40-day season but are limited to fishing for red snapper in state waters only. These operations must have State Gulf Reef Fish Charter on their license to target red snapper and other reef fish in Gulf state waters (excluding Monroe County). This can be done at no cost at a local tax collector’s office.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has also partnered with Snook and Gamefish Foundation on a new smartphone app specifically for voluntary reporting of red snapper catch information. This app will be available soon on your phone’s app store by searching for iAngler Gulf Red Snapper for private anglers or iAngler Gulf Red Snapper Charter if you are a charter operation. Using the app is important because it will help us test real-time data collection.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire