Snapper A Possibility by David Rainer 8-28-2010
gengberg August 28th, 2010
Snapper A PossibilityFinally, red snapper anglers have a ray of hope that they will be able to catch their favorite species in 2010. Of course, two important steps must be accomplished before anglers will be allowed to catch the fish that made the Alabama Gulf Coast famous - NOAA Fisheries’ blessing on the fall snapper season that was approved by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council last week and the opening of fishing in federal waters that have been closed by the oil spill.
The Gulf Council passed an emergency rule to establish a fall red snapper season in Gulf waters that will allow anglers to fish each weekend (12:01 a.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Monday) from Oct. 1 to Nov. 22, a total of 24 fishing days.
“This is great news,” said Barnett Lawley, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner. “We had suggested a season on weekends to stretch it out over a longer period of time. Now we’re waiting on testing to come back to get the waters off the Alabama coast reopened to fishing. All of our snapper reefs are in federal waters.”
Obviously, the reason the Gulf Council was able to consider a fall season is because much of the Gulf of Mexico has been closed to fishing due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Hence, when the regular red snapper season ended on July 24 only 1.1 million pounds of the 3.4-million-pound quota had been landed.
With 2.3 million pounds of the quota left, Roy Crabtree, director of NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office, said he felt a decision to have a fall season would be justified. Crabtree said he expects to have the emergency rule and final rule published in the Federal Register by Sept. 15 and the approval of the fall snapper season should come at the same time.
During public testimony, several charter boat captains and recreational anglers asked about the possibility of adding the unused 2010 quota to the 2011 quota.
Crabtree said there is currently no provision in the rules for the fishery management plan that allows that to happen. He said although it could be done it would be a tedious process that could encounter any number of hurdles and advised against it. The Gulf Council heeded his recommendation.
Kevin Anson of the Alabama Marine Resources Division, who sits on the Gulf Council, said a fall season should help the state’s coastal communities restore some composure after a summer of great uncertainty. Continue Reading »
