Red snapper management possible changes

[spoton]

I received an emailed survey from a researcher with Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at UF regarding changes to snapper management being considered. The message indicated that it was being sent to all who hold gulf reef fish licenses. The survey indicated that one of the options being considered instead of a brief, date-specific season was to go to a tag system. Each reef fish licensed angler would get perhaps 10 tags on an annual basis, and could be used year-round with no closed season.

This idea appeals to me for several reasons: With the short season and weather likely limiting access some of the days the season is open, most offshore recreational anglers have probably not been able to keep more than 10 snapper a year anyway. This would allow you to fish for snapper when you can go, be able to keep snapper you now have to throw back as bycatch when targeting other fish such as grouper, and should reduce the number of released snapper that do not survive.

Comments on a tag system such as this? Here is a link to the survey.

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3 ... _CHL=email

[Salty Gator]

It seems simple to me. I don’t understand why they didn’t do this years ago. People fish in unsafe conditions when there is a short season

[geofish]

I like it. Manage the harvest, but let us choose when it's safe to be out there.

[silverking]

Don't target snapper, but this seems like a logical approach to curb the Derby effect of current management.

[kneeknocker]

You must understand that if you go to a tag system there is a great possibility that there will not be enough tags for all the fisherman that want some. Once the tags are given out and NOAA determines that the harvest will be reached by the amount of tags given out there will be no more tags. Recreational fisherman will be limited at this point. Stay with State Management and your seasons will get better as we have already seen over the last couple years. Tags are a very bad option. This is one way to put a cap on the amount of fisherman allowed to harvest snapper.

[tailwaters]

they had a tag program in OR when I lived there. It was for steelhead and salmon and worked pretty good. You needed to mark what you caught on your license as soon as you landed it. If you were caught not doing so the ticket was pretty hefty. The difference being it's a lot easier to see a FCW boat coming your way than a wildlife office hiding behind a tree or sneaking up on you in a river. I worry about people cheating the system.

[zload]

I also received the survey, the basis of my survey was a "preferred management plan" out of a select set of choices so pick choice A,B, or C one example was A - longer season with shorter fish limit and 1 snapper per day/person B - Shorter season longer fish limit and 2 per person/day and C - no season 10 tags per year (don't recall if size limit was an issue). Some of the options were odd IMHO.

I wasn't real excited about a 10 fish annual limit but feel that a tag system would make sense for most recreational fisherman since it takes the time/weather issues out of the picture by and large. The survey proposal was not on the basis of only X # of permits being issued but every license got 10 tags., sure they could say we ran out or are only going to issue 5/per license but the same thing applies to we have a 3 day season with a 1 fish limit or no season at all.

I would much prefer having the ability to get out on days when it is safe for my boat and comfortable for my family then catch a decent number of fish than do what some do and go out on nominal to dangerous days or alternatively just not go due to weather conditions.

I'm sure some will cheat a tag system just like they are cheating daily limits/size limits and the FWC enforcement email regularly lists cases of people taking out of season/undersized fish so that's nothing new.

[rickc]

Well we all know there has been quite a recovery in red snapper in our area over the last 15 or so years. I wonder how much of that was due to the restrictions on recreational anglers and how much was due to the restrictions on shrimp trawls.

https://www.sportfishingmag.com/bycatch ... fisheries/

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource ... p-gis-data

[Limitless]

You must understand that if you go to a tag system there is a great possibility that there will not be enough tags for all the fisherman that want some. Once the tags are given out and NOAA determines that the harvest will be reached by the amount of tags given out there will be no more tags. Recreational fisherman will be limited at this point. Stay with State Management and your seasons will get better as we have already seen over the last couple years. Tags are a very bad option. This is one way to put a cap on the amount of fisherman allowed to harvest snapper.

You make some good points. One good thing though is that FWC will be continuing management of ARS, so we wont have NOAA deciding about quota. That's why FWC is working with U of F. They are also working with iAngler (Angler Action Foundation) in developing an online volunteer reporting system. I know there is some concerns and skepticism about reporting, but folks that do it can significantly aid in the analysis of fishery stocks.

[Action Craft Gator]

Well we all know there has been quite a recovery in red snapper in our area over the last 15 or so years. I wonder how much of that was due to the restrictions on recreational anglers and how much was due to the restrictions on shrimp trawls.

https://www.sportfishingmag.com/bycatch ... fisheries/

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource ... p-gis-data

The Southern Shrimp Alliance, while lobbying the Gulf Council in support of Amendment 18, presented peer-reviewed research data that suggests juvenile snapper mortality from shrimping effort is actually less than the snapper management plan projected.

https://www.shrimpalliance.com/gulf-cou ... p-fishing/

“The Gulf Council acted today to relax the quotas on shrimp fishing after finding that current, stringent quotas on shrimpers have little impact on the recovery of red snapper stocks,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “We thank the Council for accepting the peer-reviewed research that demonstrates the impact of shrimp fishing on the red snapper stocks is significantly less than projected by the Red Snapper rebuilding plan.”

The Amendment now goes to National Marine Fisheries Service for final review and approval. If approved, the formal rule-making process to implement Amendment 18 in federal regulations will take most of 2019."

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I'm generally against any measure that further restricts the recreational red snapper fishery, especially in exchange for increasing the acceptable biological catch (ABC....or, by-catch) on the commercial side.

[Srbenda]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s popular Gulf red snapper recreational season this year will open June 11 and run through July 25, with a possible fall reopening if quota is available.

This season will apply to those fishing from private recreational vessels in state and federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, and to charter vessels that do not have a federal reef fish permit and are limited to fishing in state waters only.
Earlier this month, Florida was delegated authority to manage recreational red snapper harvest from private vessels in Gulf federal waters.
“I’m pleased to announce that our state’s good conservation practices are allowing us to have a 45-day Gulf red snapper season this year,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “Gulf red snapper season is always an exciting time for anglers and is just another reason why Florida remains the Fishing Capital of the World.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission chairman Robert Spottswood said Gulf red snapper season is a conservation and management success for Florida anglers.
“Just a few years ago, a 45-day season for red snapper in both state and federal waters was out of reach," Spottswood said. “Thank you to all the stakeholders and anglers who helped make this season possible by providing input and sharing information about their fishing trips.”


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