Fish Tales: A Green Light On Red Snapper?
Fish Tales: A Green Light On Red Snapper?
Fish Tales: A Green Light On Red Snapper?
December 2006
Volume 9, Issue 4
FISH TALES
A Green Light on Red Snapper?
Recent federal action on red snapper reduction of the size limit for the
management gives the GRN some commercial sector; eliminating charter Inside this issue:
optimism that one of the Gulf’s hallmark boat captains and crews from taking
fish may finally be on the road to bag limits; rules for the shrimp fishery GOLIATH GROUPER: A 2
BIG ISSUE
recovery. Despite scientific evidence that to reduce bycatch; and reef fish gear
the stock is severely depleted, the Gulf limitations to reduce bycatch. GROUPS, COUNCIL 3
of Mexico Fishery Management Council TELL PUBLIC TALES
(Gulf Council) decided in Auguest to NOAA-Fisheries decision to step in SANCTUARY OF THE 3
delay further action on red snapper until and implement regulations on red SEASON: FLORIDA
2007. In response, the National Marine snapper means the Council will not KEYS
Fisheries Service (NOAA-Fisheries) has vote on the outcome. Given the
finally taken some control of the matter. Council’s historic unwillingness to
On October 13, 2006 NOAA-Fisheries (Continued on page 4)
draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS) became available
for public review. It discusses
various management alternatives
for red snapper — many of which
are now planned to be put into
place by NOAA-Fisheries
Red Snapper
Over the past 16 years, assertions that Goliath grouper Goliaths’ curiosity, predictability, and “opportunistic”
are eating anything and everything in their paths have feeding habits make them easy prey. Their slow growth
increased, as their population numbers seemingly rise. and late maturity make replenishing a depleted popula-
Some anglers claim this contributes to why there are so tion challenging.
few reef fish. With 16 years of protection in the Gulf,
the Goliath population should be increasing, but open- Claims from anglers in southwest Florida that Goliaths
ing a fishery for Goliath remains questionable. are eating baby sea turtles, and decimating all manner of
reef fish species are now reaching Council members. At
Goliath grouper are a long lived (they have an age span its August meeting, the Council requested information
of 30-50 years), slow grow- from NOAA-Fisheries
ing, and late maturing scientists about what take,
(reaching reproductive age if any the Goliath popula-
around 5-6 years) species. tion could sustain.
Adult Goliath grouper can
be found near offshore reefs, NOAA-Fisheries is col-
deep holes near shore, and in lecting existing informa-
rivers; younger fish favor the tion and will report back
shallower waters of man- to the Council. The
groves. These are fish that Council would then dis-
Source: NOAA
tend to remain in the same cuss what actions would
spot year after year. Such be appropriate with re-
behavior allows them to be- spect to Goliath, given
come familiar to divers, and existing science on their
the species’ natural boldness Measuring Goliath grouper. status.
Study Notes Role of Marine Biodiversity in Fisheries Collapse — cont. from page 1
marine populations dependent upon highest catch levels. path. The paper ends with the ominous
estuaries, coral reefs, and coastal and warning that “business as usual would
oceanic fish communities. Addition- Not all news was gloom and doom foreshadow serious threats to global
ally, the research showed that native though, as the paper’s analysis of the food security, coastal water quality, and
species diversity has rapidly declined effects of marine reserves and fisheries ecosystem stability, affecting current
since the commencement of large closures showed an overall increase in and future generations.”
scale industrial fishing. On the flip biodiversity of 23% and a fourfold
side of that, regions and ecosystems increase in catch per unit effort in ar- Though the study release deservedly
with higher biodiversity were shown eas at the edge of the reserves when grabbed headlines around the globe,
to be more stable, and more able to management measures are enacted. this research is only the most recent in a
foster the rebuilding of collapsed string of findings by commissions and
stocks. The paper concludes by recommend- panels urging these sensible steps to-
ing sustainable fisheries management, wards a sustainable sea-future. With
The researchers found that globally, pollution control, maintenance of es- red snapper, red grouper, gag grouper
the rate of fisheries collapse has been sential habitats, and the creation of greater amberjack and other Gulf fish
increasing over time, to the point that marine reserves as a way of putting stocks depleted and/or overexploited,
29% of currently fished species have conservation of marine biodiversity the Gulf region should pay the study
dropped to less than 10% of their and fisheries stocks on a sustainable close heed. Will our leaders finally
wake up to these realities and act?
Volume 9, Issue 4 Page 3
Get Your Fish On—cont. from pg 3 Red Snapper Salvation? — cont. from pg 1
cluded concerns about bycatch reduction, better data make hard decisions when it comes to red snapper, this is a
collection, and a more open process. long awaited and important step forward for NOAA-
Fisheries.
Attendees were pleased that the Council made the
effort to meet constituents outside of regular Coun- Complications to this approach do arise when interim
cil meetings and required hearings. Some com- measures expire — they can only be in effect for 180 days,
mented that Council members should attend such and extended for another 180 days. If a long term plan is
events in the future, so people can speak directly not in place by the time the second 180 days expire,
with decision makers. regulations will return to what was in effect prior to the
interim rule: we’d go back to a red snapper total annual
These first events were intended to test whether catch of 9.12 million pounds and assorted other regulations
such forums would be planned in the future that have proved less helpful than originally expected.
throughout the Gulf. Given the level of participation
and positive feedback, it is likely that more forums NOAA-Fisheries could completely take control of the
will be scheduled in the other Gulf States soon — entire red snapper process by developing a Secretarial Plan,
hope to see you at one! again outside the Council process, to avoid any further
Council stalling or inaction. This would go into effect
GRN and Friends Reach Out To...You! sometime during the 360 days the interim rule is in place to
Never content to wait for the Gulf Council to act, avoid a lapse in important regulations.
the GRN and our partners the Ocean Conservancy
and the Sierra Club have organized a series of public NOAA-Fisheries hopes to have regulations in place for
workshops around the Gulf from Corpus Christi to next year’s fishing season, beginning in Jan 2007.
Tampa, with stops in Galveston, Houston, New Or-
leans, Mobile, Pensacola, and Panama City.
Make sure to visit our website to get red snapper updates
Similar to the Council’s forums, the Gulf groups and to support sustainable management of this critical Gulf
sought to inform the general public about the fisher- fish! Log on at www.healthygulf.org
ies management process. Unlike the Council’s ef-
forts, our aim was to engage people in the process in
order to seek sustainable fisheries management solu- the scientific assessments show, red snapper populations are
tions. Each event offered attendees an opportunity fine, and if they’re not fine, they are only impacted by illegal
to write a letter to their legislator and the Secretary commercial fishing, never recreational fishing.
of Commerce demanding an end to red snapper over
exploitation in order to rebuild the depleted fishery. While that perspective was in attendance at both workshops, it
was far less heated than the rhetoric on the webboard indi-
In an interesting wrinkle, our Galveston and Hous- cated, and it was a minority view voiced by only a handful of
ton events were targeted by a subset of users of a attendees. The vast majority of the conservation-minded pub-
certain Texas recreational fishing webboard as op- lic has consistently urged fish managers to follow the science
portunities to make their case that, no matter what and rebuild Gulf stocks.