Snapper Ban

[Aquaviolator]

A new rule banning all recreational and commercial fishing for red snapper in federal waters off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina for five months was approved today.

The rule goes into effect January 4. On June 2, 2010, the prohibition will expire, but the government has the option of extending it for another 186 days.

The temporary rule was proposed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service
:shocked2:

Grouper are next...

 

[brailediver]

Grouper are already on the chopping block with Amendments 17A, 17B & 18. SAFMC will shut down all harvest or possession of all species in the Snapper/Grouper Management Group because you might catch a RS. Charter & headboat captains have been instrumental in bringing forth a proposal to specifically prohibit spearfishing.
There are 88 species in the Snapper/Grouper Management Group that include almost every fish in the ocean except Toad-fish & flounder. Oh,yea I almost forgot Lionfish.
The proposals also contain wording that will require VMS on private recreational boats & no diving without a NOAA permit & you will be required to pay a NOAA Team-Ocean diver to accompany you.
The criminalization of American recreational fishermen!
This action was signed into effect by Sec. of Commerce Gary Locke, destroying coastal economies & killing thousands of recreational fishing related jobs, on the same day as the jobs summit.
Go figure!
Any-one want to buy a boat, SCUBA gear & spear-guns REAL cheap?

 

[Wayward Son]

red snapper are already closed (recreational, dunno about commercial), in the gulf at least, until june 15th I think. We're down to a 4 month season with a 2 fish bag limit.

They keep on & we'll have a weekend to get one fish. Yet the damned things are EVERYWHERE.

 

[Hetland]

A new rule banning all recreational and commercial fishing for red snapper in federal waters off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina for five months was approved today.

The rule goes into effect January 4. On June 2, 2010, the prohibition will expire, but the government has the option of extending it for another 186 days.

:shocked2:

So you can't snapper fish 365 days a year now? It's been that way in the Gulf for years. We have fleets of snapper boats down here, and even considering the recent tightening of the bag limits they are making a living.

Grouper are next...

In my neck o the woods we need to seriously re-address grouper limits, as we are hunting and fishing them out. Your woods are different though. I hope you guys have a healthy population, but we sure as hell do not.

Grouper are already on the chopping block with Amendments 17A, 17B & 18. SAFMC will shut down all harvest or possession of all species in the Snapper/Grouper Management Group because you might catch a RS. Charter & headboat captains have been instrumental in bringing forth a proposal to specifically prohibit spearfishing.

Stupid on their part. Spearfishermen need to go on charters too. That would be a good fallback for some of the captains.

The proposals also contain wording that will require... [] & no diving without a NOAA permit & you will be required to pay a NOAA Team-Ocean diver to accompany you.

You're telling us that you can't go scuba diving without a government employee present? Please provide a link to your source.

red snapper are already closed (recreational, dunno about commercial), in the gulf at least, until june 15th I think. We're down to a 4 month season with a 2 fish bag limit.

They keep on & we'll have a weekend to get one fish. Yet the damned things are EVERYWHERE.

Ummm Red Snapper fishing is always closed this time of year, that's nothing new. The LENGTH OF SEASON and BAG LIMITS are reduced from previous years, but that's not new news either. In fact, there's at least a possibility that things might improve a tad next year in the Gulf:

Federal regulators say Gulf red snapper fishery on the rebound - al.com

I agree that they are everywhere. Our stocks are really doing well. I hope we either increase our season or limits this year, but I would be a little surprised if they did both. I wouldn't cry if they left it the same, but I would be upset if they lowered us again.

The criminalization of American recreational fishermen!

Like any other public resource, our fishing stocks have to be managed. I may be misunderstanding things, but it sounds like they are establishing SEASONS for snapper harvest. If that's the case, then welcome to the club. I can't shoot deer in the Summer, and I can't retain snapper in the Winter. Are the Atlantic stocks so much healthier than the Gulf stocks that you guys should have a year-round season? I don't dive or fish your waters, so I can't say, but we have a finite resource, and more people every year want their fair share. Soon or later you have to take action to protect what you have. One of the best things to happen in the Gulf is our artificial reef program. There are probably more red snapper in Alabama waters than there have ever been, but it didn't happen because we wanted it to, it happened because everyone (including State and Federal governments) worked together and most of the sportsmen and charter operators made sacrifices and personal investments to improve our fisheries.

I don't pretend that I agree with every management decision, in fact, there are plenty that I disagree with, and sometimes I think more management is needed (grouper in our case) but the establishment of a red snapper season in the Atlantic is not a reason to join a militia or sell your fishing gear.

 

[Wayward Son]

I never said it wasn't closed at this time of the year, but the fact remains that the season & bag limit for red snapper have been drasticly reduced.

 

[Hetland]

I never said it wasn't closed at this time of the year, but the fact remains that the season & bag limit for red snapper have been drasticly reduced.

Sorry. Misread the intent of your post.

 

[brailediver]

I agree that fisheries should be managed. I thought that is what we were doing with creel limits in past years. Did they make a mistake in their management procedures?
Crabtree just announced that the Gulf RS population has "turned the corner". So why the restrictions?
There are many other alternatives to the closures. They should wait until the new assessment is completed. If a species is overfished, why still allow commercial harvest?
In the 17A documents it states-
"Biologically, under Alternative 1(Status Quo), it would be unlikely that the stocks would rebuild to a sustainable level within a predictable amount of tine, However if fishing related mortality was limited to the optimum yield level(75%Fmsy) the stock would rebuild with or without a plan"
Why the "shut it down" attitude?
If a resource is in such deep peril, why still allow commercial exploitation?


We have a healthy population of RS here. Any one that dives will tell you that.
There are less drastic measures available.
Here on the East coast, they are not talking about a short season or bag limit.
They are proposing a total ban on all bottom fishing from NC to the 28 line at Sebastian Inlet.
Think thats fair?
In Savannah, one of the proposals calls for a total ban from the Savannah River to the Altamaha Sound, from the 3 mile line to the federal 200 mile limit.
Think that is a "fair & equitable" decision?
Gulf politics & management decisions have nothing in common with our situation in the South Atlantic EEZ.
Diving by NOAA permit & with a Team Ocean rep?
Watch & listen!

 

[lulubelle]

Hi, could someone please explain something to me about fishing restrictions in general?

I was at the Georgia Aquarium over Thanksgiving, I always pick up those little cards which combine both health and environmental parameters to suggest what the best fish are to purchase. If I recall correctly both Atlantic snapper and grouper were on the "overfished" list.

I have wanted to learn how to spear ever since I became a diver, only a couple of years ago. After all, I feel pretty stupid looking a nice fish in the face on my dive and then going out to dinner and paying 30+ dollars for fresh local catch. I already have my fish cleaner and preparer lined up.

So here is my question...why are spearos even considered in these measures? It seems odd to me when commercial fishing boats of all sizes are catching large quantities of fish, why is anyone even a little bit concerned about spearos? I have a hard time imagining how anyone spearing will catch enough fish to affect the population at all. Now of course I understand the size limits, just not the reasons for lumping in recreational spearfishers/deep sea fisherman with commercial fishing. Maybe I am missing something, I do need some more coffee...

 

[Wookie]

Hi, could someone please explain something to me about fishing restrictions in general?

I was at the Georgia Aquarium over Thanksgiving, I always pick up those little cards which combine both health and environmental parameters to suggest what the best fish are to purchase. If I recall correctly both Atlantic snapper and grouper were on the "overfished" list.

I have wanted to learn how to spear ever since I became a diver, only a couple of years ago. After all, I feel pretty stupid looking a nice fish in the face on my dive and then going out to dinner and paying 30+ dollars for fresh local catch. I already have my fish cleaner and preparer lined up.

So here is my question...why are spearos even considered in these measures? It seems odd to me when commercial fishing boats of all sizes are catching large quantities of fish, why is anyone even a little bit concerned about spearos? I have a hard time imagining how anyone spearing will catch enough fish to affect the population at all. Now of course I understand the size limits, just not the reasons for lumping in recreational spearfishers/deep sea fisherman with commercial fishing. Maybe I am missing something, I do need some more coffee...

Without adding 20 pages of diatribe, the short, quick and inadequate answer is...
Spearo's are lumped in with recreational fishermen. Right or wrong (for many reasons) that's how it is. Recreational fishermen take about 49% of the recreational catch, with 51% going to headboat/charterboats, which are also considered recreational except by me. Commercial fishermen take about 50% of the TAC (total allowable catch) for red snapper, and rec's take the balance. Whenever there is a ban on fishing, Recreational fishermen take it in the shorts, because the commercial guys whine cry and carry on that their "way of life and making a living" is being destroyed. Welcome to the club, everyone's way of making a living is being destroyed.

Anyway, when NMFS determines that a species is overfished, somebody is taking it in the pooper. Even though recreational fishermen add far more to the economy in terms of buying boats, gear, licenses, fishing vacations, etc. etc., they don't feed their families with the cash proceeds of their catch, so they don't make nearly as good channel 6 news coverage as the big nasty federal government putting some commercial guy out of business.

There are so few spearo's, their detrimental effects on the fishery overall are likely to be negligable. Most of the spearos that I know shoot a fish for dinner, then come home. They don't shoot turtles (one of the long line commercial by-catch problems), they rarely shoot undersized fish (and when they do, they tend to eat them anyway), what they shoot, they tend to kill (how about hauling a snapper up from 200 feet with a rod and reel, and throwing it back. How long you think that fish will live), and they dive often. Recreational spearfishing regulations aren't fair, but it is what it is.

There is really way more to the story than that. What I wrote is way oversimplified, and full of my opinion. If you want a diatribe, read some of the info on spearboard.com and spearfishingplanet.com. Try not to get buried in the hate.
Frank

 

[lulubelle]

Without adding 20 pages of diatribe, the short, quick and inadequate answer is...
Spearo's are lumped in with recreational fishermen. Right or wrong (for many reasons) that's how it is. Recreational fishermen take about 49% of the recreational catch, with 51% going to headboat/charterboats, which are also considered recreational except by me. Commercial fishermen take about 50% of the TAC (total allowable catch) for red snapper, and rec's take the balance. Whenever there is a ban on fishing, Recreational fishermen take it in the shorts, because the commercial guys whine cry and carry on that their "way of life and making a living" is being destroyed. Welcome to the club, everyone's way of making a living is being destroyed.

Anyway, when NMFS determines that a species is overfished, somebody is taking it in the pooper. Even though recreational fishermen add far more to the economy in terms of buying boats, gear, licenses, fishing vacations, etc. etc., they don't feed their families with the cash proceeds of their catch, so they don't make nearly as good channel 6 news coverage as the big nasty federal government putting some commercial guy out of business.

There are so few spearo's, their detrimental effects on the fishery overall are likely to be negligable. Most of the spearos that I know shoot a fish for dinner, then come home. They don't shoot turtles (one of the long line commercial by-catch problems), they rarely shoot undersized fish (and when they do, they tend to eat them anyway), what they shoot, they tend to kill (how about hauling a snapper up from 200 feet with a rod and reel, and throwing it back. How long you think that fish will live), and they dive often. Recreational spearfishing regulations aren't fair, but it is what it is.

There is really way more to the story than that. What I wrote is way oversimplified, and full of my opinion. If you want a diatribe, read some of the info on spearboard.com and spearfishingplanet.com. Try not to get buried in the hate.
Frank

Thanks Wookie,

I am not a spearo yet, but I just couldn't get my head around how the small spearo population catching one or two fish at a time could even put a dent in the fish supply. My intention in wanting to learn to spear is not to be in a competition, but to catch my dinner. I am going to eat some sort of fish whether I catch him or not, and one could make a case for catching it yourself being a more environmentally sound, or "green" way to catch/eat fish, since all of the bits after being caught (transport, energy for storage, etc) do not need to happen on the scale that they do if you are served that fish in a restaurant.

I hate the politics of law. You should see some of the doozies we have on the books in NC