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Water Log 18.3

Red Snapper Management Update
 

In the last two issues of Water Log, we reported that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council adopted a 9.12 million pound total allowable catch for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf for this year. The quota was divided so that 6 million pounds were released for the period of January-August and the remaining 3.12 million pounds were held for the period of September-December, if the bycatch reduction devices on shrimp trawlers adequately reduced bycatch of juvenile red snapper.

In September, NMFS preliminarily reported that bycatch reduction devices in shrimp trawls released between 30% and 70% of the incidental finfish bycatch while releasing about 4% of shrimp caught. NMFS also authorized release of the remaining 3.12 million pounds for harvest.

Also in September, the Gulf Council voted 7-6 not to request NMFS to extend the recreational fishing season for red snapper beyond September 30. Even though recreational harvest is prohibited in federal offshore waters after this date, the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission decided to keep Florida inshore waters open until October 31. Water Log will continue to report on red snapper and reef fish management in future issues.
 
 

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