Saving Seafood

South Atlantic Council Requests Allowing Harvest of Red Snapper in 2017 and 2018

September 26, 2017 — CHARLESTON, S.C. — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted today to approve a request to NOAA Fisheries that would allow fishermen access to red snapper in federal waters in the South Atlantic beginning in mid-to late October this year. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, it will be the first time since 2014 that the red snapper fishery has been open in federal waters off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. The Council is requesting that NOAA Fisheries allow an interim annual catch limit (recreational and commercial) of 42,510 fish for 2017 via an emergency rule. The annual catch limit would allow for a recreational mini-season likely beginning the end of October, with approximately 6 to 12 days of fishing over a period of 3-day weekends. The recreational bag limit would be 1 fish per person/day with no minimum size limit. Commercial harvest would be allowed with a 75-pound trip limit. The recreational sector is allocated 71.93% of the total catch limit. If the Council’s request is approved, the number of days and specific dates of the recreational mini-season will be determined by NOAA Fisheries. A decision is expected in the coming weeks and will be announced by NOAA Fisheries.

In addition to the emergency rule request to allow an opening this year, the Council also approved measures in Amendment 43 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan with the intent to have a red snapper season in 2018. The amendment would revise the process to calculate the annual catch limit for red snapper, allowing mini-seasons for red snapper beginning in July. If allowed, the recreational fishery would open the second Friday in July (July 13, 2018) and the commercial fishery the second Monday in July (July 9, 2018). The annual opening dates for the fishery were established through an earlier amendment.

Under the Council’s approved preferred alternative, the 2018 annual catch limit would also be 42,510 fish. Because fishing pressure would be greater during the summer months in most areas, it is estimated that the recreational mini-season would last between 4 to 7 weekend days with a 1 fish per person/day bag limit and no minimum size limit. The commercial trip limit would remain at 75 pounds. The number of recreational fishing days would be determined by NOAA Fisheries and announced prior to the July opening. The Secretary of Commerce must approve Amendment 43 before it is implemented.

There was much discussion on various management alternatives as Council members reviewed public input. Public hearings on Amendment 43 were held in August and over 230 written public comments were recently received on both the emergency rule request and Amendment 43. Public comment was also taken during today’s meeting. “We’ve consistently heard from our constituents about the increasing number of red snapper encountered and concerns that harvest has been prohibited for the past four years,” said Council Chair, Dr. Michelle Duval. “The majority of comments support allowing a limited harvest of red snapper.”

The Council’s decision to move forward with options to establish an interim annual catch limit and allow limited harvest of red snapper was based in part on the public testimony and support. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee had recommended acceptable biological catch levels for red snapper following a 2017 stock assessment using both landings and estimated discards. Annual catch limits are based on those recommended catch levels. However, NOAA Fisheries later stated that using recreational discard estimates is likely ineffective for monitoring red snapper removals due to uncertainty in the estimates of discards. This inhibits the ability to set an acceptable biological catch that can be effectively monitored. In addition, the Council considered increases in the numbers of red snapper observed through a long-term scientific survey using fish traps.

Council members also noted the positive social and economic benefits of allowing mini-seasons beginning this year, especially on the heels of recent damage to fishing communities by Hurricane Irma.

State agency personnel will work diligently to collect information from fishermen if harvest is allowed. Personnel will be stationed at boat ramps, marinas, and other locations to gather data, similar to data collected during the 2012-2014 mini-seasons. “The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute will be conducting surveys of private recreational anglers and charter-for-hire crew,” explained Jessica McCawley, Council representative for FWC. “Additionally, biologists will be collecting tissue samples (ear bones and gonad samples) to evaluate the sizes, ages, and reproductive condition of the fish being harvested.” Council members noted that additional data collected during the mini-seasons would be useful in future management decisions.

Private recreational fishermen will also have an opportunity to report their catch information as part of a voluntary pilot project using the mobile iAngler tournament app. The free mobile app will allow fishermen to report their landings of red snapper, the number of fish released, depths fished, and other valuable information. Additional details will be publicized from the Council office as they become available.

“It is important for fishermen to remember that this is their red snapper resource,” explained Dr. Duval. “It is imperative that fishermen do everything possible to minimize the number of red snapper released during the season openings and use best fishing practices to improve the survival of released fish. Anglers are encouraged to move away from area populations after catching their bag limit and to use descending devices to reduce the impacts of barotrauma, especially when fishing in depths over 100 feet.” Dr. Duval also noted the rate of harvest in 2017 will determine the length of the 2018 red snapper season. “We must be cautionary in balancing access to the fishery without negatively impacting the sacrifices made thus far as this important stock continues to rebuild.”

The Council will continue its meeting this week through Friday. Additional meeting information is available at: http://safmc.net/2017-september-council-meeting/.

Fishing council mulls red snapper season

Decision expected Monday

September 25, 2017 — Anglers will learn Monday whether there will be an open season for red snapper off the Atlantic Coast next month, which would be one of the few opportunities to harvest the highly-sought fish since strict protections went into effect in 2010.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which sets fishing regulations in federal waters off the Southeast coast, will consider several options during its meeting in Charleston, S.C., that would open red snapper Oct. 6 and last anywhere from seven to 23 days spread over three-day weekends.

The possibility of a 2017 season surprised many when it was first revealed last month and was part of a major shift in the debate over the health of the red snapper population.

Red snapper have been protected by strict regulations since 2010, a result of the federal government finding the species to be overfished to dangerously low numbers.

Read the full story at the Florida Times-Union

Monica Goldberg: New red snapper proposals need safeguards from overfishing

September 21, 2017 — Lawmakers in the House and Senate recently introduced legislation aimed at the perpetually contentious Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery. Thanks to stronger conservation standards and accountability, red snapper numbers in the Gulf have tripled in the last decade and catch limits have doubled, leading to increased value for commercial fishermen and access for charter and for-hire vessels. Unfortunately, private anglers are stuck under a profoundly broken management system. Congressman Garret Graves, Senator Bill Cassidy and others on Capitol Hill propose to give the Gulf states the chance to manage this specific part of the red snapper fishery.

We share the desire to give private anglers more flexibility and certainty in their fishing opportunities, and states are already innovating under current law, such as the LA Creel program in Louisiana. The new bills (H.R. 3588 and S. 1686) have improved significantly from similar attempts last Congress. But without further safeguards, they threaten to take us back to the failures of the past, when the fishery was severely depleted and red snapper was hard to find for seafood consumers and anglers alike.

The current proposals would give the five Gulf States authority to manage the private angler portion of the red snapper fishery in both state and federal waters; commercial and charter/for-hire fishermen would remain under federal management. But because the bills lack provisions to ensure that the private angler sector stays within its quota (after exceeding it nine of the last 12 years), the bills would jeopardize the sustainability of the fishery and undermine the commercial and charter sectors.

Read the full opinion piece at the Environmental Defense Fund

Reminder! South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting September 25-29, 2017 in Charleston, SC

September 20, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Note: The Council meeting was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. Please check out the information below regarding next week’s meeting schedule and opportunities for public comment.  Unless otherwise indicated, members of the public are invited to attend all meetings.

Meeting materials, including agendas, overviews, presentations, and documents are available via the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.

Meeting Location:

Town and Country Inn

2008 Savannah Highway

Charleston, SC 29407      

Phone: Reservations: 843/571-1000

Agenda Highlights  

  • Full Council Session – Monday, September 25
    Harvest Options for Red Snapper 
    The Council will hold a special session from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Monday of the meeting week to specifically address measures to allow harvest of red snapper. The Council will review alternatives in Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 to determine an annual catch limit for red snapper and allow a limited season in 2018. The Council will also consider options to request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for a red snapper mini-season in 2017.

    • Red Snapper Public Comment – Monday, September 25 
      10:15 AM
      Public comment will be solicited on measures proposed in Amendment 43 to allow for a limited harvest of red snapper in 2018 and options for requesting emergency action for harvest in 2017.  The Council is scheduled to take action during Monday’s Full Council Session. Provide your comments online now and register to attend the meeting via webinar as it occurs (see below).
  • Snapper Grouper Committee The committee will continue to review measures proposed for both recreational (Regulatory Amendment 26) and commercial (Regulatory Amendment 27) sectors as identified through the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint.
  • Mackerel Cobia Committee The committee will receive an update on the development of an interstate fishery management plan for Atlantic cobia (Georgia through New York) by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The committee will also review options to modify the current commercial trip limit for king mackerel during their meeting.
    • NOTE: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a public hearing on measures proposed for Atlantic cobia on Tuesday, September 26th beginning at 7:00 PM in conjunction with the Council meeting.

Hurricane Irma delayed red snapper decision

September 15, 2017 — In a rare move, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council announced recently it would consider an emergency proposal to open a red snapper fishing season for anglers and commercial fishermen this year, as early as October.

Then, in just as rare a move, the Council announced it would postpone its scheduled meeting due to the arrival of Hurricane Irma.

The week-long meeting will now take place in Charleston, S.C. Sept. 25-29 at its previous scheduled location. On the meeting’s first day, Council members will discuss and decided whether to open the red snapper season.

What does it mean for the recreational anglers of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina? It could mean as many as 12 days of fishing opportunities for red snapper this year. If the season is approved, as it appears it will be, anglers will have a daily bag limit of one fish per angler and no minimum size limit.

Read the full story at TC Palm

LOUISIANA: Anglers get final weekend of red snapper fishing

September 1, 2017 — Louisiana anglers will get a final weekend of red snapper fishing as catch numbers are about 160,000 pounds below the state’s self-imposed limit for 2017.

The latest statistics, released today by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, show 880,603 pounds of red snapper had been caught as of Aug. 20.

In June, the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission ordered agency Secretary Jack Montoucet to close the season when it appears anglers will meet the state’s self-imposed limit of 1.04 million pounds or by Sept. 4, whichever comes first.

Read the full story at Houma Today

Red Snapper Special Session – SAFMC Meeting – September 11-15, 2017 in Charleston, SC

August 28, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting Location:

Town and Country Inn

2008 Savannah Highway

Charleston, SC 29407      

Phone: Reservations: 843/571-1000

Agenda Highlights  

  • Full Council Session – Monday, September 11
    Harvest Options for Red Snapper 
    The Council will hold a special session from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm on Monday of the meeting week to specifically address measures to allow harvest of red snapper. The Council will review alternatives in Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 to determine an annual catch limit for red snapper and allow a limited season in 2018. The Council will also consider options to request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for a red snapper mini-season in October 2017.

    • Red Snapper Public Comment – Monday, September 11 at 10:15 am
      Public comment will be solicited on measures proposed in Amendment 43 to allow for a limited harvest of red snapper in 2018 and options for requesting emergency action for harvest in 2017.  The Council is scheduled to take action during Monday’s Full Council Session.  Can’t attend? Provide your comments online and register to attend via webinar as the meeting occurs (see below).
  • Snapper Grouper Committee The committee will continue to review measures proposed for both recreational (Regulatory Amendment 26) and commercial (Regulatory Amendment 27) sectors as identified through the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint. Measures include reducing the recreational size limit for black sea bass, commercial split seasons and more.
  • Mackerel Cobia Committee The committee will receive an update on the development of an interstate fishery management plan for Atlantic cobia (Georgia through New York) by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. A public hearing will be held during the meeting week (see below). Options to modify the current commercial trip limit for king mackerel will also be reviewed.

LOUISIANA: Red Snapper fishing likely to continue through Labor Day

August 25, 2017 — BATON ROUGE, La. — Based on the latest LA Creel landings data and this weekend’s weather forecast, LDWF biologists anticipate the red snapper season will remain open through Labor Day.

The latest catch stats from LDWF’s LA Creel, the agency’s near real-time data collecting program, show that 849,227 pounds of red snapper had been caught as of August 13. The last reported amount was 780,769 pounds.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has ordered LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet to shut down the red snapper season when it appears anglers will meet the self-imposed limit of 1.04 million pounds.

Read the full story at KATC

Congressional Bills Would Alter National MSA to Benefit Recreational Fisheries in Gulf of Mexico

August 22, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Two companion bills in the House and Senate, both currently in committee, would alter the Magnuson-Stevens Act in how it addresses recreational and commercial fisheries management.

Both bills call for a review of the red snapper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and alter the section in the MSA dealing with Gulf red snapper. Then each bill changes sections of the law that apply to all U.S. fisheries on fundamental management principals in MSA, like how regional councils will allocate access to marine resources, adopt annual catch limits requirements, and put data-poor fisheries under a less strict management than more strict.

Both versions of The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (S.1520 and H.2023) are an attempt to codify what is becoming a standard argument for the recreational sector: “We are different from commercial fishermen, so the fish we target should be managed differently.”

The strength of the MSA, adopted in 1976 and amended at regular intervals to address changing aspects of the nation’s fisheries, is that within its founding principles are guidelines for managing recreational as well as commercial use.

An example of this is the halibut charter management program in Alaska. Very much like red snapper, a resurgence of non-commercial interest in Pacific halibut triggered the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to adopt a catch sharing plan (note:“shareING” is key here — this is different from a catch share program) which allows the total allowable catch (TAC) in Alaska to be shared, and in times of low abundance, allows a higher ratio to go to charter operators. That recognizes a different business model for charters compared to commercial operators.

The Alaskan catch sharing plan for halibut came after years of difficult discussions among charter operators, commercial fishermen, federal fisheries managers and state recreational fisheries managers. It is not perfect but it has worked since it was implemented in June 2011.

The charter sector in Alaska has continued to grow and recently introduced new measures that would provide more stability for their businesses, but potentially take a higher percentage of the available resource.

A continuing problem in the charter sector is accounting for all harvests and mortality. The group is working on improving data collection and accountability which will improve their chances of getting increased TAC.

These and other considerations are currently being resolved under the aegis of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Pacific Halibut Act, legislation that manages Pacific halibut under a treaty with Canada, within the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council.

Nationally, the recreational sector based in the Gulf of Mexico would like to see recreational fisheries removed from most fishery management plans, under the guise that recreational fishermen don’t take much fish compared to commercial fishermen. This is the purpose of the Modern Fish Act.

While this is true on an individual case by case basis, it is not true in the aggregate, where hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers can quickly decimate a stock.

In arguing for the bill  Mike Leonard, Director of Conservation of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), told the Magazine Monga Bay that although the old MSA has been successful, it was written to regulate commercial fisheries, but was unjustifiably applied to managing recreational fishing as well. In actuality, the MSA was written to address all aspects of fisheries, spelling out rules for commercial, charter and recreational fishing in order to preserve sustainable fish stocks.

Leonard argued to Mongabay that “Much like gardening in one’s backyard is different than large scale agriculture practices, recreational and commercial fishing are very different activities.” He contends that, while commercial fishermen have a single goal (to efficiently catch as many fish as possible), recreational anglers have other motivations, such as enjoying the outdoors with family and friends, catching and often releasing trophy fish, and occasionally catching dinner.

Where recreational fishermen take fish from public waters, unless they are subject to the same accountability rules as the commercial industry, they are in effect claiming unlimited rights to keep a public resource to themselves.  The commercial industry on the other hand, serves a national interest in providing fish for American consumption regardless as to whether you go out and catch it yourself or not.

Many in the commercial industry and NGO community support some of the efforts to improve recreational catch data, but the idea of taking recreational fish out of Magnuson is a non-starter.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Robert Jones: Red snapper anglers need real and lasting change

August 22, 2017 — The way recreational anglers’ share of Gulf red snapper is converted into fixed seasons clearly isn’t working and I believe we can do better! However, I think we can all agree that setting science-based catch limits have helped bring red snapper back from the brink, and now is not the time to abandon them.

The recovery of red snapper over the last decade has been amazing to see. I can remember fishing with my dad as a kid off the coast of Texas and we could barely find red snapper. Today you can go to just about any marina and see sizeable red snapper being unloaded with big smiles all around.

The fact is, as the population is rebounding, catch limits for recreational fishermen have more than doubled. The total for the fishery is 14 million pounds this year, split roughly in half between recreational and commercial fishing, with sub-quotas between charter operators and individual anglers. Better management regimes in the commercial and charter industries are keeping both groups within their sustainable limits.

So if the quota has more than doubled in the last decade and other fishing industries aren’t exceeding their limits, why are we facing frustratingly short federal seasons?

Read the full opinion piece at Houma Today