Red snapper Archives - Page 36 of 42

Snapper management tops Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting agenda

July 7, 2016 — The issue of red snapper and the development of Louisiana’s plan to manage red snapper for the private sector of recreationally caught red snapper is a top item on Thursday’s agenda for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

The meeting is scheduled to convene at 9:30 a.m. at state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.

Furor arose in the past two weeks after Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves’ sponsored bill calling for state management of red snapper for recreational anglers cleared the U.S. House’s Natural Resources Committee.

While not outlined specifically by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Secretary Charlie Melancon nor his staff, Melancon objected to the bill because it did not contain adequate funding for state management of the species.

Read the full story at The New Orleans Advocate

Louisiana Creel not enough to cover full snapper management, biologist says

July 6, 2016 — Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Charlie Melancon’s opposition to a congressional bill to hand over red snapper management to the Gulf states hinged on the bill’s lack of federal funding and what he estimated could be a $10 million annual price tag.

But that flew in the face of previous statements by his predecessor’s administration, which said in a congressional hearing that the agency had plenty of money for state management thanks to a saltwater fishing license increase instituted to fund the data-collection program known as LA Creel.

So who’s correct?

“Unfortunately, I would tend to say my current boss is more than likely closer to the truth,” LDWF Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fisheries Patrick Banks told LouisianaSportsman.com.

The reason is pretty simple, Banks said: LA Creel collects only one part of the data needed to perform full stock assessments necessary to effectively manage fisheries.

“LA Creel collects fisheries-dependent data,” the biologist said.

That includes information on recreational and charter catches, he said.

“What fish are caught, what types of fish are caught — stuff like that,” Banks explained.

However, LA Creel doesn’t capture any commercial landings, fisheries-independent data (think scientific sampling) or enforcement between state waters and the boundary of federal waters at 200 nautical miles.

And there probably just isn’t enough money in the program to cover those non-recreational aspects of management, he said.

Read the full story at Louisiana Sportsman

Sen. Rubio fishing for review of red snapper ban

June 28, 2016 — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who chairs the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, called Monday for the U.S. Department of Commerce to review the decision to close the South Atlantic to red snapper fishing for a second consecutive year.

“The economic benefit to my home state of Florida, along with other states that fall under the South Atlantic, cannot be overstated,” wrote Rubio, a candidate for re-election, in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Acting Inspector General David Smith.

Read the full story from the News Service of Florida at WWSB

LDWF Secretary opposes move to give Louisiana authority over red snapper

June 22, 2016 — Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Charlie Melancon stated Tuesday he is opposed to a push to transfer management authority of Gulf of Mexico red snapper from the federal government to the fisheries agencies of the five Gulf states.

Melancon said a bill proposed by Rep. Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) that’s currently making its way through Congress would grant Gulf states management authority without providing necessary dollars.

“Without federal funding, Louisiana could potentially lack the proper resources to manage the red-snapper fishery,” Melancon said. “It would be fiscally irresponsible for the department to support any mandate that would result in an unknown amount of fiscal burden placed on the state of Louisiana for the management of a single species of fish.”

Previously, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida had joined Louisiana in calling for NOAA Fisheries to surrender management control of the popular reef fish. Critics say gross mismanagement of red snapper has led to reduced fishing opportunities for recreational anglers. This year’s federal red-snapper season for recreational anglers was initially set at nine days, but was extended to 11 days after tropical weather kept many anglers at the dock.

Read the full story at the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Rep. Jones, others want red snapper fishery to reopen

June 20, 2016 — More than a dozen congressmen, including U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, wants federal fisheries regulators to reconsider a decision to close the South Atlantic red snapper fishery.

The representatives said data produced by a Florida research institution shows the South Atlantic red snapper stock is healthier than what federal data indicates so the fishery should be reopened to commercial and recreational fishing.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries program, announced the South Atlantic red snapper season is closed this year because the total number of red snapper removed from the population in 2015 exceeded the allowable level, according to the NOAA Fisheries website.

Read the full story at the Daily Reflector

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Addresses Management Options for Red Snapper

June 19, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council listened intently as a draft list of management options for red snapper was presented for consideration during their meeting this week in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The options include a comprehensive adaptive management approach that may allow harvest of red snapper as the stock continues to rebuild. The red snapper fishery remains closed for the second year in a row in federal waters after NOAA Fisheries estimated the total number of fish removed in 2015 exceeded the annual catch limit of 114,000 fish by more than double. The majority of the total removals, an estimated 276,729 fish, are attributed to dead discards within the private recreational fishery as fishermen encounter more red snapper while targeting other species. Scientists estimate that approximately 40% of red snapper that are released do not survive.

“No one wants to continue to see the large numbers of red snapper being discarded while this valuable fishery remains closed to harvest,” said Council Chair Dr. Michelle Duval. “Stakeholders have made it clear that managers must consider alternative management options and we agree. The Council must also balance the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as the stock recovers.” The proposed comprehensive management approach includes options to reduce discards by establishing a federal private recreational snapper grouper fishing season, allowing a limited recreational bag limit for red snapper during the season, use of descending devices and venting tools, changes to size limits, and limiting the number of hooks allowed. The approach also includes requirements for a federal recreational snapper grouper stamp. The Council voted to address options for a limited entry program for the for-hire sector in a separate amendment. There are also recommendations for improving data collection for the fishery that include electronic reporting using logbooks for private recreational fishermen, increased biological sampling, discard monitoring using cooperative research and citizen science projects, tagging programs, and other methods. “Many of the ideas included in this approach are similar to those heard during our port meetings as part of the Visioning process for the snapper grouper fishery,” said Dr. Duval. The Council agreed to move forward with development of a scoping document for further review during their September 2016 meeting.

Council members also had many questions regarding the data used for the latest red snapper stock assessment and the determination by their Scientific and Statistical Committee that the stock remains overfished and undergoing overfishing, as the number of dead discards increases. “The fact that the stock is showing a strong biomass and recovering age structure is encouraging,” said Dr. Luiz Barbieri, senior research scientist with the Florida Marine Research Institute and member of the committee. Red snapper are long-lived, with some fish living up to 50 years, and the stock assessment shows there are still not enough older fish needed for a healthy stock due to overfishing for the past few decades. Dr. Barbieri acknowledged the uncertainty associated with the stock assessment and data available since the red snapper fishery was initially closed in 2010 with subsequent mini recreational seasons in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014. The Council requested the Scientific and Statistical Committee reexamine the assessment and the stock status determination when it meets again in October. The Scientific and Statistical Committee will also review the Council’s proposed changes to stock reference points as noted in the adaptive management approach.

Management Changes for Atlantic Cobia and Mutton Snapper Approved for Public Hearings

The Council approved management actions and alternatives for Atlantic cobia to take out to public hearings scheduled for August 2016. The measures, as outlined in draft Framework Amendment 4 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan would reduce harvest of cobia in federal waters along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to New York. The new measures are designed to help ensure consistent and stable fishing opportunities for all participants in the fishery. The recreational fishery in federal waters will close on June 20, 2016 when the annual catch limit is projected to be met. The early closure for 2016 was required due to the overage of recreational harvest of Atlantic cobia in 2015 and the accountability measure that requires a shortened season the subsequent year. The 2016 recreational closure of the seasonal fishery occurs during the peak fishing season in North Carolina and Virginia. The Council reviewed the numerous written and public comments before choosing alternatives for public hearings. Actions include reducing the recreational bag limit with a preferred alternative to reduce the daily bag limit from 2 per person/day to 1 fish per person/day with a vessel limit of 3 fish/per day, modifying the recreational fishing year with a preferred alternative for the year to begin May 1st, modifying the current accountability measure, and changes to the commercial trip limit.

The Council also approved measures for mutton snapper, a popular species found primarily in South Florida and the Florida Keys. Stakeholders have expressed concerns about fishing pressure that occurs each spring as mutton snapper gather to spawn. Snapper Grouper Amendment 41 includes actions to modify the annual catch limit based on the most recent stock assessment for mutton snapper, reduce the current bag limit of 10 fish per person/day with a preferred alternative of 3 fish per person/day year round, establish a commercial trip limit with the preferred alternative of 300 pounds, and modify the minimum size limit, with the Council’s preferred alternative to increase the size limit from 16 to 18 inches total length. Public hearings are scheduled for August. Details are available from the Council’s website at http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule.

Other Business

The Council also discussed options for establishing a limited entry program for the federally permitted for-hire sector (Snapper Grouper, Dolphin/Wahoo and Coastal Migratory Pelagic federal permits). The Council approved a control date of June 15, 2016 for the open access charter vessel/headboat permits. The control date is designed to alert fishermen that the Council may use that date for making future management decisions. The Council approved development of an amendment to establish a for-hire limited entry program.

House panel approves bill to shift red-snapper management to states

June 19, 2016 — The House Natural Resources Committee has passed a bipartisan bill that would move the management of red snapper in Gulf states from federal oversight to the states.

The Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act (H.R. 3094) also requires approval from the full House and Senate and President Obama’s signature.

“Once it becomes law, the mechanism in the bill for the transfer of management authority is very simple: Once the states agree on their management plan, then the responsibility moves to the states,” Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Coastal Conservation, told Trade Only Today.

The CCC is one of several groups that have worked to change the way red snapper is regulated for recreational anglers. This year’s red snapper fishing season was nine days.

Angers said he hopes the current administration will pass the bill.

“The House has stepped up on challenging fisheries issues already this Congress. They passed the bill to fix [the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act] last year, so the leadership is surely up to the challenge,” Angers said.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act regulates saltwater fish stocks. The law has long lumped commercial fishing in with recreational fishing. Recreational fishing and boating stakeholders have been trying to change that in recent years.

“The current federal model is clearly not working, and it’s time for a more balanced approach to the management of this fishery,” Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, said in a statement.

Read the full story at Soundings Trade Only Today

Controversial Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery bill advances

June 17, 2016 — The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources advanced a bill on Wednesday, 15 June regarding red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico that would extend Southern states’ control over federal waters and establish a new management authority to replace the oversight of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The action moves the legislation on to face a potential vote by the full body of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill, H.R. 3094, or the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act, was authored by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-Louisiana). The proposed legislation would remove the red snapper fishery from federal management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and give management authority of the species to an agency overseen by fishery managers representing five Southern states with borders on the Gulf of Mexico.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Rep. Jones Asks for Red Snapper Opening Based on New Data

June 15, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Rep. Walter Jones (NC-3):

WASHINGTON — This week, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) and over a dozen of his House colleagues urged federal fisheries regulators to consider science from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute before following through on a 2016 commercial and recreational closure of the South Atlantic red snapper fishery. The Institute, which is a subsidiary of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, has data which shows a much healthier red snapper stock than the federal data used to justify the 2016 closure. Harvest of South Atlantic red snapper has been banned for the past six years.

“The population statistics from the Institute support allowing a commercial and recreational harvest of red snapper in the South Atlantic region,” said Jones and his colleagues in a letter to NOAA Administrator, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan. “Unfortunately, reports indicate these data are not being considered as ‘best available science’ and, therefore, are at risk of being excluded from the [South Atlantic Fishery Management] Council’s deliberations. Permitting a limited amount of red snapper harvest this year, to the extent it would not jeopardize the fishery’s overall sustainability, could serve to more accurately assess the size, sex, and relative abundance of the red snapper fishery and help resolve the discrepancies between the two data sets.”

Jones has been a critic of the science used by the federal government to manage South Atlantic red snapper. In November of 2015, he raised a number of questions about the credibility of the agency’s red snapper data.

CFA Responds to Approval of H.R. 3094 Today in the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee

June 15, 2016 — The following was released by the Charter Fisherman’s Association:

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Earlier today the House Natural Resources committee in Congress approved H.R. 3094 by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La) to transfer management of the private, charter for-hire and commercial components of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fisheries away from the federal government to a newly created five-person committee made up of the five Gulf state fishery directors. The CFA has been adamantly opposed to this concept since its inception last year and one of our members (Captain Gary Jarvis) testified against the bill in a hearing on the bill in October. The following statements are in reaction to this morning’s vote.

“As federally permitted charter captains, we are the access point for millions of Americans who want to go offshore but don’t own a big boat,” said Captain Shane Cantrell from Galveston, TX. “We have worked constructively with NOAA to develop management solutions for our industry to improve accountability, increase sustainability and deliver flexibility for our customers and most of the Gulf States have opposed us every step of the way. Congress should be advised that transferring authority over this fishery will result in the Gulf of Mexico being reserved for only wealthy boat owners in short order.”

“I am disappointed to see this dangerous piece of legislation move out of the Natural Resources committee because our industry has been near unanimous in saying that we want to stay under federal management. The private recreational system is what is broken and those anglers absolutely deserve relief, but you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If the states want to manage millions of private anglers that is fine, but there are 1,200 of us and we operate exclusively in federal waters and we don’t want any part of that.” ~ Capt. Gary Jarvis from Destin, FL.

“In addition to turning their backs on years of progress in rebuilding this fishery, they are passing down a huge unfunded mandate to my home state of Louisiana. After the multi-billion dollar mess that the previous Governor left us, I don’t know how they expect us to pay for the management of another 191 miles offshore!” ~ Capt. Steve Tomeny from Fourchon, LA.