Saving Seafood

NOAA Announces Gulf Red Snapper Harvest to Open June 1

April 29, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries has announced the recreational season for the harvest of red snapper in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will open at 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2016. The bag and possession limit is two fish per person at a 16-inch minimum total length.

Last year, NOAA Fisheries, through the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council), made the decision to split the recreational red snapper quota into two distinct components – private anglers and charter vessels and headboats (for-hire). Each component has its own quota allocations based upon NOAA’s recreational red snapper harvest estimates. Private anglers will have a 9-day federal season running through June 9th closing at 11:59 p.m., and charter vessels / headboats will have a 46-day federal season, closing July 16th at 11:59 p.m.

The “Louisiana-only” season

The season for the recreational harvest of red snapper in Louisiana state waters is currently open, will remain open during the federal season, and will continue to be open after the federal season closes. LDWF monitors real-time red snapper harvest during 2016 through the LA Creel program.

Recreational Offshore Landing Permit

The Department reminds anglers that a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is required in order to posses certain species, including red snapper. Anglers may obtain or new the permit, free of charge at https://rolp.wlf.la.gov.

The permit is required for any angler possessing tuna, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, wahoo, cobia and dolphin, except for anglers under 16 years of age or anglers fishing on a paid-for-hire trip where the captain holds a permit.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire

NOAA Announces New Gulf Red Snapper Catch Limits, Targets and Seasons

April 28, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries approved Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 28) submitted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). A final rule implementing these measures will publish in the rFederal Register on April 28, 2016, with an effective date of May 31, 2016. As a result of this rule, NOAA provides notification of the 2016 private angling and federal for-hire red snapper fishing seasons.

The Council approved Amendment 28 to reallocate the red snapper harvest consistent with the 2014 red snapper update population assessment to ensure the allowable catch and recovery benefits from a rebuilding population are fairly and equitably allocated between commercial and recreational fishermen. The amendment reallocates the red snapper stock annual catch limit between the commercial and recreational sectors from 51:49 percent to 48.5:51.5 percent, respectively.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire

ALABAMA: With federal snapper season set at 9 days, state announces 66 day season for state waters

April 28, 2016 — In response to an announcement today that the federal red snapper season for recreational anglers will be nine days long, state officials said that Alabama would set a 66 day state season, from May 27 through July 31.

However, during the longer Alabama season, anglers will only be allowed to fish in state waters, which stretch nine miles from shore, while during the federal season the entire Gulf is open.

Confounding matters further is the federal charter boat season, for boats taking paying customers. That season lasts 46 days, from June 1 through July 17. Charter boats are not allowed to fish during the longer state season.

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne’s office shared a notice from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announcing the new federal season.

“A nine day Red Snapper season is a disgrace for Alabama’s fishermen. This type of ‘derby-style’ season poses serious challenges and puts the safety of our fishermen at risk,” said Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL). “There are plenty of Red Snapper in the Gulf, but the federal government continues to do a terrible job of counting the number of fish, as well as the number caught each year. The House has passed reform legislation that would give us a real season again, and it is past time for the Senate to act and bring real relief to our fishermen.”

Read the full story at Alabama.com

South Atlantic Council to Convene Scientific & Statistical Committee and Socio-Economic Panel on May 3-5, 2016 in Charleston, SC

April 22, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

SAFMC Scientific & Statistical Committee and Socio-Economic Panel Scheduled to Meet May 3-5,2016 in Charleston, SC.

Socio-Economic Panel Meeting (May 3, 2016, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM)

Agenda items include a discussion of Optimum Yield, review of an economic decision tool for Snapper Grouper Amendment 37 dealing with hogfish, provide input on red snapper management, and discuss recent and upcoming council actions in the South Atlantic region.

Scientific & Statistical Committee Meeting (May 3-5, 2016)

The SSC will review and provide input on proposed management measures for hogfish, mutton snapper, and electronic reporting in the for-hire sector; review the stock assessments and provide fishing level recommendations for red snapper; and more.

Read more about the upcoming meetings at the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

 

Gulf Council Meets in Austin on Eve of 40th Anniversary of Magnuson Stevens

April 19, 2016 — As the eve of 40th anniversary of the signing of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act approached, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met in Austin to discuss numerous fishery issues. Included on the Council’s busy agenda were changes in king mackerel allocation, stock boundaries, and sale provisions; hogfish annual catch limits, minimum size and stock definition; red grouper catch limit increases; and charter and headboat reporting requirements. However, as usual, it was Gulf red snapper that once again stole the show as well as a majority of the Council’s time and energy.

Forty years have passed since Congress passed the sweeping legislation changed the landscape of the American seafood industry and established a comprehensive framework for governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters. The Act created eight regional fishery management councils – including the Gulf Council – designed to address the unique, regional differences in marine fisheries across the country.

For years, red snapper has consumed a majority of the Councils time, and the Austin session proved no exception. Red snapper management for federally permitted charter vessels, the 2016 recreational red snapper season and the extension or elimination of the red snapper sector separation sunset provision all topped the agenda, as well as federal reef fish headboat management.

The Council received an update from the NOAA Fisheries Service (NMFS) on red snapper season projections for the coming year. Both the private recreational season and federal charter for-hire season will open on June 1. NMFS predicts a private recreational season of just six to nine days, and a federal charter for-hire season of between 38-56 days. The final 2016 recreational red snapper season closing dates will be announced in May prior to the start of the season.

Read the full story at the Gulf Seafood Institute

 

Projections for red snapper season are in

April 14, 2016 — DESTIN, Fla. — Although the end date is still uncertain, the start of red snapper season is June 1.

“But good news is on the way,” said Capt. Gary Jarvis of the Back Down2 and president of the Destin Charter Boat Association.

Jarvis is anticipating a 50 day season for the charter for-hire boats in federal waters.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met last week in Texas to discuss catch limits, requirements and allocations of various fisheries – among them red snapper.

In recent years the red snapper fishery, which was deemed overfished by regulators, has started to rebound and this year anglers may get a few more days.

See the full story at Northwest Florida Daily News

Florida Gulf Red Snapper Season Set

April 14, 2016 — At its April 13 meeting in Jupiter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the 2016 recreational red snapper season in Gulf of Mexico state waters.

The 2016 season will open Saturdays and Sundays in May starting May 7. On May 28, the season will open continuously through July 10. Finally, the season will reopen for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day. This would provide for a 78-day season in Gulf state waters.

This season will help maintain fishing opportunities for recreational anglers in state waters and provide additional May and fall weekend fishing days.

See the full story at The Fishing Wire

14 Reasons One Doctor Has Stopped Eating Tilapia and Two More Question All Kinds of Fish

April 8, 2016 — There’s something fishy happening in the world of seafood, and we’re not quite sure how to handle it. While health concerns with foods as seemingly simple as a can of tuna fish have been raised by some, others are doing their best to remedy this and bring purity back to the seafood industry. Whether it’s tuna fish, salmon, or tilapia, though, it’s important that the entire food industry takes a step back and reassess the way fish are raised, processed, and served.

The sushi industry, in particular, has had some mislabeling issues over the past few years. According to a study by Oceana, in 2012, roughly 58 percent of New York City sushi restaurants were selling fish that wasn’t labeled properly, with the worst culprits being rolls and platters advertising the inclusion of red snapper. There were up to 13 different types of fish labelled as red snapper that were, in fact, entirely different species. Additionally, about 94 percent of white tuna sold in the same year wasn’t white tuna at all. This “white tuna” was actually escolar, a type of snake mackerel with purgative effects. 

There are efforts being made to fix this problem, though, and plans are being put in motion to install more classically trained sushi chefs in designated Japanese-grade sushi restaurants here in America and elsewhere around the world. The problems with sushi are but one issue affecting seafood consumption in this country. In addition to mislabeling, sketchy sourcing and the potential negative effects some fish can have on the body (no one wants to eat fish that has anything even close to purgative effects) all stand in stark opposition to the current American desires for transparent labeling, local sourcing, and food purity.

Read the full story at The Daily Meal

Texas charter captains use loophole to get around federal red snapper limits

April 8, 2016 — The future of recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is for sale in Texas.

While charter boats and private recreational anglers in the Gulf were only allowed to catch red snapper in federal waters on 10 days last year, two companies in Galveston, Texas have been taking recreational anglers red snapper fishing all year round.

What’s more, the companies allow the fishermen to keep as many red snapper as they want each day, blowing past the two-fish-per-day federal limit.

The only thing limiting how many snapper the customers are allowed to keep is how much they are willing to pay.

The Texas companies have been getting around the federal limits and seasons by selling the “Catch Shares Fishing Experience.” The Texas companies involved own “catch shares” of the commercial red snapper fishery that allow them to harvest a set number of pounds per year for commercial sale.

Instead of catching those fish with a professional crew and selling them to a fish house, the captains are taking recreational anglers fishing and letting them buy the fish afterward.

For the customers, the catch share experience represents the ultimate fishing trip, where they can keep many more snapper than the two per person per day allowed under federal law. Meanwhile, the boat captains running the trips are able to market the fish as “fresh fish caught that day,” which command a much higher price at the dock than most commercially caught snapper.

Read the full story at Al.com

Commercial fishermen threaten legal action over Gulf red snapper quota reallocation

April 8, 2016 — A reallocation of the 2016 and 2017 quota of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico will benefit recreational anglers at the expense of commercial fishermen, and may result in legal action.

The decision, made in August 2015 by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and approved 30 March, 2016, by the National Marine Fisheries Service, will transfer 2.5 percent of the Gulf red snapper quota, or 352,000 lbs. whole weight, from commercial to recreational use, lowering the commercial share of the quota to 48.5 percent and raising the recreational share to 51.5 percent. As a result, the decision will extend the 2015 red snapper fishing season for private anglers fishing from their own boats in federal waters from six to nine days.

Andy Strelcheck, NMFS deputy regional administrator for the Southeast, said the change was made after new and improved survey methods gave his agency a more accurate picture of how many snapper recreational anglers were harvesting.

“Once we began implementing those improvements, our data essentially indicated that our catch estimates for recreational fishermen fishing for red snapper previously were underestimated,” Strelcheck said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source