Gulf States Unite in Bid to Take Over Red Snapper Management from Feds

[Wally15]

March 17, 2015 - The five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico-Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas-have pulled together in an effort to wrestle management authority of the red snapper fishery from the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (GMFMC). In a jointly signed letter submitted to federal authorities on March 13, the states outlined a proposal to shift management of Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper away from the federal government. This unprecedented effort includes a new framework for cooperative state-based management of this incredibly important fishery and would create the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority.

"The Gulf States are making it crystal clear that they have no confidence in the GMFMC's ability to manage red snapper in a fair and equitable manner," said Jim Donofrio, RFA's executive director. "Our Gulf chapters have been working diligently to bring about change within the Council system only to have their efforts thwarted by an organization that is under the control of an entrenched group of individuals associated with environmental groups like the Environmental Defense Fund."

The dissatisfaction with the performance of the GMFMC by state management authorities and their stakeholders has been brewing for a long time and the problem is only exacerbated by the fact that the fishery has been rebuilt to well beyond the most optimistic historic levels while the recreational red snapper seasons set by the GMFMC have been cut to levels counted in days with no justification.

"I think the straw that broke the back of any credibility within the GMFMC was the recent vote for sector separation," Donofrio said. "There was overwhelming opposition for this unprecedented move, but the Council went ahead with it anyway."

According to Robert Barham at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the states are far more capable of handling the collection of more precise landings data than the GMFMC, which relies upon the flawed Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Along with the other Gulf States, Louisiana is confident we can provide precise landings estimates and more frequent stock assessments-the data needed to better manage this fishery and allow our fishermen to take full advantage of the available resource. The states are also more receptive and can be more responsive to the wants and needs of constituent's-we can set flexible, tailored management measures that address local needs as well as Gulf-wide conservation goals.

"A change has been a long time coming-we want to thank the state directors for pulling together to create a viable solution for fixing red snapper management," Barham said.

On the dock, anglers and the industry were pleased with the proposed action.

"Gulf of Mexico red snapper at the federal level has proven to be an absolute failure for the recreational fishing community from a management standpoint," explained Jamie Wilkinson, Vice President and Group Publisher at F+W Media and member of the RFA Board of Directors. "The Gulf states should be commended for putting forward a proposal that aims to provide recreational fishermen an increased opportunity to benefit from the rebuilding success of red snapper."

[ACDIII]

Thanks for the information, its about time the Federal Government got out of the way.
Andy

[Wally15]

Thanks for the information, its about time the Federal Government got out of the way.
Andy

It's not a done deal by any means, Andy. Big Brother does not willingly give up control of anything. Plus I'm sure all the special interest groups, commercial fishermen, charter operations, "conservationists", and environmentalists will do everything possible to keep this from happening.
You been doing any fishing? I haven't been in so long I might have forgotten how
Mike

[Dominick]

It should work if enough pressure is put on the feds.  The feds don't manage they just forbid.  Dominick

[ACDIII]

Mike, I have not been since Oct last year. Going down to Apalachicola next weekend and hopefully get a few repairs done to the boat and get it in for service. Our fishing club will have a tournament over in Destin in Mid May and another tournament the first week of June.   

[Tightlines667]

Thanks for sharing the article!

The feds typically manage fish stocks on a larger scale, both temporally and spatially.  Herin lies the management strengths and weaknesses.  Unforturately not all stakeholders nor all areas (on a smaller scale) will recieve equal representation with regards to the council's recommendations.  These are often driven largely by political and economic considerations rather then science.  The council's recomendations are just that, and do not need to be followed by NMFS.  NMFS typically is most effective at properly managing fish and/or shark stocks that have a wide distribution, and multiple stakeholders.  They manage on a longer timescale, on the order of decades, instead of years or seasons.  States are typically more shortsighted in fish stock management, but are able to stay in better touch with local stakeholders, and finer scale management measures.  Effective stock management requires a blend of the two.  

The fact that the Red Snapper management measures (although considered over-restrictive, especially to the recreational sector) appear to be having a positive impact, tells me that they are working.  The goal is to rebuild the stock to near carrying capacity, and to strengthen the overall size/age class structure.  These fish are somewhat long lived, and as with most species of this r-type, require more, larger/older females (which are highly susceptable to top-down influences) to ensure adequete annual recruitment.  This takes time.  Furthermore, despite there being significant improvements to the overall amount and type of suitable Red Snapper habitat in the GOM, population levels are still likely well below the levels seen in the 70s before heavy exploitation on a grand scale began to really occur.  Carrying capacity for these species is likely larger now, then it was then, so the population has room to expand.  

If states were to gain greater control over bottomfish stock management, it is likely that they would increase TAC (total allowable catch), above a maximum sustainable yield, and some local stock structure might revert back.  States tend to be less adapt at managing commercial fisheries, espec. those that cross boarders, and operate outside of territorial waters.  However, they are often more in touch with the recreational sector, and are better able to respond on finer spacial and temporal scales.  They are also typically more adept at raising funds to aid in management.  The ultimate goal is to develop a robust stock capable of balanced and sustainable utilization.  This takes time.  Unfortunately states tend to abandon long term management goals in favor of short-term gains, and many groundfish stocks, in particular have suffered as a result.  There are however many notable exceptions, where states have been able to sucessfully manage their groundfish stocks.  These are difficult problems, that sometimes require hard solutions.

The GOM Red Snapper management may appear to be a blunder, and failure from our short-term perspective, but we may actually look back on it 10 years down the road with a different, possibly more meaningfull perspective.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of cases where stakeholders have deemed existing restrictions on take to be excessive, when in fact the opposite has been shown to be true.  I hope this does not prove to be the case here.  To the contrary, I think given a few years time, people will be pleasently surprised by the posirive results of what now appear to be overly restrictive and unfair measures.  

Admittadly, this is not my particular area of expertise, but I am a fisheries biologist for NMFS, and I believe 9 times out of 10 fish stocks are undermanaged.  This may be a case of the opposite occuring, but in the case of these widely dustributed, long-lived species, it is always best to er on the side of caution.  

Just my opinion.

[Wally15]

Not to be argumentative, Tightlines, but going back to the 70's to justify todays quota system is pretty weak. The Magnuson-Stevens Act was 1st passed in 1976, so the Feds have had almost 40 years to get it right, and have failed miserably, in spite of draconian adjustments to the original act, especially the 2006 revision. 10 years ago I could catch and keep 2 Red Snapper 180 days a year. Last year it was a whopping 8 or 9 days. I think I fished only 1 of those days because weather kept me off the water the other day I was planning to fish. In the same 10 year span, by the Feds own numbers, the Gulf Red Snapper population doubled from 15 million to 30 million fish. Does that sound like a fishery in trouble? And using POUNDS to determine the ACL (allowable catch limit) I've been creel checked exactly once in 25 years, and that was a ramp check by the FWC. No one even knows how many Snapper days we'll have this year. How's that for larger scale temporal and spatial management?
I've only fished the Gulf for 25 years, so I have no idea how many Red Snapper there were in 1976. I do know that I catch a lot more today than I did 15-20 years ago. I don't even like Red Snapper, I generally let them all go anyway.
I'm not a marine biologist, just a retired engineer. I spent my career making complex manufacturing systems work efficiently. There is practically nothing efficient or equitable about the current Federal Red Snapper ACL system. The states could certainly do no worse.
Just my opinion.
Mike

[Dominick]

There is practically nothing efficient or equitable about the current Federal Red Snapper ACL system. The states could certainly do no worse.
Just my opinion.
Mike

Mike I for one totally agree with you.  That is not to say that John does not have a valid argument.  How's that for sitting in the middle of the road?  Dominick

[Rancanfish]

Well, I have no idea how the snapper population has varied over the years so I won't comment.

However, here on the best coast, rockfish management is a joke.  They play with the limits and specie restrictions so much that you can watch how the populations are affected. 

I remember the sudden explosion of Lingcod one year.  You would catch a Ling for every rockfish.  But of course you couldn't keep them, right?

This year the Ling limit is up to three, and black cod is restricted.  A fine example of reactive management.

And the Feds let the Enviro-laden panels do as they please, ignoring scientists and their studies. 

I used to be active in the politics of it a bit, but the sheer insanity made me quit. 

[Tightlines667]

Not to beat a horse, but I am currently attending the American Fisheries Society annual conference, and have had the oportunity to catch a number of presentations on current research findings surrounding GOM Red Snapper.  Varied research conducted throughout the GOM shares many similar findings, especially with regards to current age/size class population structure.  The population size has expanded considerably since the more restrictive management measures were put in place.  Overall numbers have reached nearly 20-40% of the stock rebuilding goals.  However, all of the assesments suggest the population is strongly scewed towards younger fish with estimates of 30-40% of the population being fish under age 4.  There are very few fish over age 10, and even fewer in the 20-30 year range.  Research has shown that the older 20 year+ females are crucial to maintaining long-term stock recruitment.  Other interesting findings suggest that the artificial reef habitats (especially those with a stronger verticle component) in the 60-80meter depth range are holding/sustaining large numbers of the smaller fish, while the few larger fish are typically segregating to the deeper water natural banks.  

Current population size has expanded to roughly the size of that of the late 80s, though the population structure is atypical of the species.  Hopes are that within a few more years, the population structure will begin to take a more 'natural', and robust approach.  However, natural recruitment increases will take on the order of a decade or two.  

Although I am no population biologist, I am concerned anytime a given size class is allowed/encouraged to expand beyond typical.  High numbers of smaller/younger fish doninating these communities can, and likely will, outcompete the valuable larger fish for the same limited resources.  Personally, I think it would be good to think long-term here, and ensure a robust age/class structure by maintaining some controls (less restrictive measures) on the expansion of these smaller/younger population segments.  We need more fish, but not all at once.  A blip in the age/size class structure can be detrimental to long term goals.

Rest assured there are alot of minds working on this one.  Time will tell how effective this top-down single species management plan works.

[day0ne]

I don't know where they are getting there numbers, but they don't jive with what is seen offshore. I fished heavily in the 70's and 80's and the snapper population is much larger now than it was back then, at least off TX. I just returned from several days offshore and we couldn't seem to catch anything other than snapper and they weren't small ones either. Several went over 35 lbs and the average was 15-20 pounds. We are finding snapper in places that they never were before. I've caught them in 600' of water. We are also noticing that other species are disappearing, probably eaten by the snapper. Then there are the seasons. Recreational fisherman get 10 days but the charter and head boats get 40 or 50 days, yet they are taking the same recreational fishermen out to fish. Makes sense, doesn't it. It begs the question why do people who can't fish get poundage to sell to recreational fishermen and they aren't considered commercial. It's a mess.

The statement you made "If states were to gain greater control over bottomfish stock management, it is likely that they would increase TAC (total allowable catch), above a maximum sustainable yield, and some local stock structure might revert back.  States tend to be less adapt at managing commercial fisheries, espec those that cross boarders, and operate outside of territorial waters. " sounds somewhat elitist. I believe Texas Park and Wildlife has a much better record of managing fish than NMFS ever has.

[Tightlines667]

This is definately a 'hot topic' and as I stated before, this really is not my area of expertise.  I am not a population biologist, and my experience in this region is limited to recreational fishing.  I have held the long-standing belief that recreational fishermen are often underrepresenred in stock assesment data, and many other types of data.  Much of the management decisions are based on numbers obtained from comnercial catch and landings, and admittadly the bandit reel gear and commercial sampling nethodology may suffer from gear selectivity issues.  The good thing about commercial carch data is that it provides a long-term/comparable data set for population assesment work.  I have always belived that scientist, and managers could learn alot from talking to the recreation, and charter guys.  

The dozen or so scientific papers I have read that have been published in the last year on GOM Red Snapper used various methodology to address various questions, but surprisingly much of the same results regarding age/class structure agree.  These studies also agree, in large part, with stock assesment work based on commercidl catch data.  It is interesting, and notable, that recreational accounts differ from this large body of work.  As I said, I think the recreational sector is sorely underrepresented here.

Boy am I glad, I am not working closely with this issue...someone may want to hang or burn me at the stake.  

[Keta]

Well, I have no idea how the snapper population has varied over the years so I won't comment.

However, here on the best coast, rockfish management is a joke.  

Yup, I can take you to some deep reefs that have lots of yelloweye, others that appear to be carpeted with canary rockfish, both have been 100% protected here for years but never threatened.  They recently added quillback (never was that many this far south) copper and China rockfish to the no keep list and reduced the number of blue rockfish (they are everywhere) to 3 a day....and I know where they are thick.  The people pushing this are anti consumptive use and their goals appear to be elimination of sportfishing.

Put your test gear put on mud flats and you will not catch rockfish, their twisted thinking means no rockfish on hooks= no rockfish.  ODFW also uses creel check data and they were saying there was a drastic drop in yelloweye retention....DUH!! After they made it illegal to kill them we quit killing them.  

Boy am I glad, I am not working closely with this issue...someone may want to hang or burn me at the stake.  

We try to restrict our punishment to tar and feathers....

[handi2]

I don't know where they are getting there numbers, but they don't jive with what is seen offshore. I fished heavily in the 70's and 80's and the snapper population is much larger now than it was back then, at least off TX. I just returned from several days offshore and we couldn't seem to catch anything other than snapper and they weren't small ones either. Several went over 35 lbs and the average was 15-20 pounds. We are finding snapper in places that they never were before. I've caught them in 600' of water. We are also noticing that other species are disappearing, probably eaten by the snapper. Then there are the seasons. Recreational fisherman get 10 days but the charter and head boats get 40 or 50 days, yet they are taking the same recreational fishermen out to fish. Makes dense, doesn't it. It begs the question why do people who can't fish get poundage to sell to recreational fishermen and they aren't considered commercial. It's a mess.

The statement you made "If states were to gain greater control over bottomfish stock management, it is likely that they would increase TAC (total allowable catch), above a maximum sustainable yield, and some local stock structure might revert back.  States tend to be less adapt at managing commercial fisheries, espec those that cross boarders, and operate outside of territorial waters. " sounds somewhat elitist. I believe Texas Park and Wildlife has a much better record of managing fish than NMFS ever has.

It's the same here in Pensacola, FL. There are so many Red Snapper it's hard to catch anything else..!! They are big too.

So many that when you pull up to a local wreck or live bottom the fish start coming up to the boat.

[David Hall]

My head hurts.
All I know is that I go out and catch a ling on virtually 99% of my drops.  One day this year it was 100%.
What I'm not seeing is many vermillion.  I believe the Lings ate them all.
I think what the FMC needs to do is put a restriction on the Ling cod that gives them a no vermillion limit for awhile.