The
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic red snapper management
chronicle continues to twist and turn, becoming ever more
complicated by regulatory changes and lawsuits filed to
force government to impose management policies.
According
to the Gulf Council, the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock
is overfished. The stock status is influenced not only by
direct fishing, but also by red snapper bycatch mortality
from shrimping. All making rebuilding red snapper a challenge
for fishery managers as competing interests and goals must
be balanced.
Additionally,
the red snapper rebuilding plan established in 1990 has
been revised and lengthened several times in response to
new assessments that provided a better understanding of
stock biomass and other factors, including shrimp trawl
bycatch mortality data. The most recent red snapper stock
assessment indicates catch and bycatch levels are likely
to jeopardize the success of the latest rebuilding plan,
implemented in 2005. The goal is to rebuild the fishery
to allow for harvest at maximum sustainable yields by 2032.
One
proposed change being considered by the Gulf Council is
reducing the total allowable catch (TAC) from 9.12 to 6.5
million pounds. The commercial (51 percent) and recreational
(49 percent) quotas of the TAC would remain the same. The
proposal would not change the 16 inch recreational size
limit or alter the April 21-Oct. 31 season, but might reduce
the bag limit to two fish and set the charter captain and
crew bag limit at zero. In an effort to reduce waste, the
commercial size limit might be reduced to 13 inches.
Also,
with the publishing of the final rule for Reef Fish Amendment
18A, all vessels with a valid reef fish permit will be required
to have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) onboard.
Another
proposal being considered is establishing a target reduction
of red snapper bycatch in shrimp trawls at 50 percent. One
serious problem with reducing snapper bycatch in trawls
is the natural behavior of red snapper. Underwater video
has shown red snappers in trawls swimming along inside the
net, hugging tightly to the webbing, even as escape openings
are clearly available. The fish’s natural instinct
is to seek the protection of structure, in this case inside
the trawl. They swim with the trawl until exhausted and
then end up with the catch.
Other
alternatives such as seasonal closures, marine protected
areas or area closures also may become a reality.
Yet
another upcoming change to red snapper is the implementation
of individual fishing quotas (IFQ) to begin in January 2007.
Each fisherman with a valid red snapper endorsed reef fish
permit would be allocated a portion of the commercial quota,
based on historical landings. This would eliminate the need
for seasonal harvest and would reduce economic hardship
associated with seasonal and derby fishing. Read the entire
history of red snapper management at: www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/pdfs/lagniappe/2000/10-02-2000.pdf
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