Red Snapper Bag Limit Headed Down, Way Down
By DAVID RAINER
The bag limit on red snapper is about to be cut in half for the 2007 season, and the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed an interim rule that will cut the recreational bag limit from four fish to two fish, both with 16-inch minimum lengths, for the 2006 season, which is scheduled to open April 21.
Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it. The reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Act earlier this year requires that “overfishing” of any species governed by the act must end within two years of the species being declared overfished. The computer models at NMFS indicate to achieve that mandate the bag limit for the 2008 and 2009 seasons could be reduced to one fish per person with a shortened season.
For coastal communities like Orange Beach, where fishing for red snapper is an important aspect of luring visitors to the beach, the impact will likely be significant if not devastating.
“We’ve got a problem,” said Dr. Bob Shipp, head of Marine Sciences at the University of South Alabama and a member of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. “Do we ever.”
Shipp said he expects to see For Sale signs pop up soon on boats along the Alabama Gulf Coast.
“Guys with big notes on a boat and not much equity, they’re going to go out of business,” he said of the charter boat industry. “There’s going to be a ripple effect. Some people are not going to come down if they can’t go fishing for red snapper.
Even people who don’t go fishing love to go to the docks and watch the boats come in. That’s part of the experience.
“I think it’s going to be really dramatic. Some say they’re going to keep on fishing and the bycatch is going to be bad because of the discard mortality. Some say they’re just going to quit.”
Vernon Minton, Director of Marine Resources with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, has heard predictions of a reduction of the charter boat fleet by one-half.
“Because of the price the charter people have to charge and fuel costs for the private sector, I think there will be a significant reduction in effort,” said Minton, who also sits on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. “I threw that (one-half) figure out to charter people and they said half would be the minimum.
“I think a lot of people are not going to go fishing. If you look at the private sector, people are only catching 2.8 to 3 fish per trip. If you put the mental image out that they can’t catch but two, they’re not going to go. It was the same thing for Spanish mackerel. They wanted to cut the bag limit to four. Who would want to mess up the boat for four Spanish mackerel.
I don’t think people will take that run offshore and spend the money. And some will probably just quit.”
Minton also doesn’t believe the NMFS’ red snapper assessment has the reliability to cause such “draconian” actions.
“I just don’t believe the stocks are in such dire straits,” he said. “If you look at the biological research, recruitment (the number of juveniles) is higher than it has been in the last 10 years. That is measured by nets on the bottom. That’s not guessed at by a computer model. It used to be if you caught a 10-pound snapper you got your picture in the paper. Now they’re commonplace.
Most of the commercial catch is coming from the western Gulf. Before, there was no fishery over there. Off Tampa, where there wasn’t a significant historical catch, they’re coming in with limits daily.
“If we turn the computers off and just look at the parameters, you think the stocks are in good shape. If it were my farm pond, I’d say we’d done a good job here. That’s what’s so frustrating. And that’s what’s so frustrating for those people who are going to be put out of business.”
Capt. Mike Rowell, who runs the charter boat Annie Girl out of Orange Beach, thinks he can survive the reduced snapper limits because he has diversified his fishing, but he expects to see some of his fellow captains fall by the wayside.
“It’s going to hurt,” Rowell said. “How bad? I don’t think anybody knows. It’s hard to say what percentage it’s going to put out of business. It’s going to hurt. A lot of the six-packs (six-passenger boats) are dependent on the snapper. It’s the easiest thing to catch. You catch a few other fish, but not many. Now a limit is going to be half of that or less. People are not going to pay for that.
“I know the adjustments I’m going to make. I’ve already made some. We used to run different length trips. Last year I went to full day trips only. We leave at daylight and we’re out about12 hours. We target other species and cook on the boat.
I’m going to do more overnighters for tuna and marlin. I’m going to mix it up and get a nice catch of fish. I’ve taken the emphasis off of pounds of fish. If you want pounds, go to the fish market. That may sound harsh, but that’s the way it is right now. What we push now is the enjoyment of catching the fish – ‘Have a Good Time’”
Rowell said recreational fishermen have done a poor job of getting its message to the right people.
“One of the things that’s going to come out of this is a lot more awareness,” he said. “It’s just like when you were a kid. You won’t listen until you get hurt. People won’t get out and call their congressman or write letters. It’s sad, but they wait until it’s too late.
“When we fish, we try to educate people every day. When people see all the fish we’re throwing back, maybe they will go back and write those letters and call somebody who might have some influence.”
After much thought and a considerable change of heart, Rowell said a simple approach to the bag and size limits makes the most sense.
“I was against it to start with, but the more I thought about it, it seems ‘keep the first four fish you catch’ would probably be the best,” he said. “If you catch all little ones on the first drop, don’t drop down again. We’ll go to another spot. The dead discards are a major problem with every fishery. We got to cut down on those dead discards. We’re going to train the dolphins that we’re not feeding them any more. I really think that will help.
“We’ve got to be more efficient. We’ve got to cut the waste. We can somewhat manage the size of fish we catch by the hook size. That’s why I think the first four fish is the answer. If you catch him, throw him in the box.”
Charter boat captains and anglers have insisted for years that the data used to make the management decisions are flawed. In fact, Minton points out that NMFS’ data ignores a proven population of very large red snapper offshore. Rowell adds that NMFS refuses to listen to the fishermen.
“We need a common sense approach to managing the fishery,” Rowell said. “Last year, the spring fishing was very good. During the dog days of summer it fell off, just like it always does. In September and October when triggerfish and beeliners (vermilion snapper) normally move in, there were more 14- and 15-inch snapper out there than I’ve ever seen. You’d catch them two at a time every time you dropped down.
“You can’t convince me snapper are about to go extinct.”
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