Two important meetings occurred this week that give anglers some optimism regarding the future of federal marine recreational fisheries management. While the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) moved forward with reopening the closed red snapper season, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held a hearing on four bills that seek to modify the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the federal law that governs most of our saltwater fisheries.
On September 25, the SAFMC voted 12-1 on an Emergency Action to open a very limited fall 2017 season for red snapper off the Atlantic coast. A complete closure of the red snapper fishery was implemented in 2010 when a stock assessment estimated the population was overfished. There were very limited weekend seasons in 2012, 2013, and 2014. However, for the last three years, the estimated discard mortality of red snapper caught and released by anglers fishing for other species has exceeded the estimated Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for red snapper and resulted in no available quota to hold a season. Recent independent fishery research suggests that earlier stock assessments may not be adequately reflecting the population health. Opening the season, even for a few days, will give scientists the opportunity to collect important harvest data to incorporate into new population assessment models.
The Secretary of Commerce must still approve the new season, which could be up to a total of 12 days over several weekends beginning in October.
On the heels of the SAFMC meeting, the Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee held a legislative hearing on four bills (H.R. 200; H.R. 2023; H.R. 3588; MSA reauthorization discussion draft) that seek to amend or reauthorize MSA.
“The discussion between the Members and the panel at the hearing was encouraging,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) Fisheries Program Director Chris Horton. “It highlighted that while commercial fisheries are generally doing well under MSA, the same approach isn’t working so well for many recreational fisheries. The Modern Fish Act (H.R. 2023) gets us there while upholding the conservation standards and goals of MSA.”
Among the panel of witnesses was Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner, Chris Blankenship. “We can conduct the stock assessments, we can set a healthy quota, and we will be able to accurately monitor the catch to ensure that the red snapper fishery is not overfished while at the same time allowing access to our fishermen,” said Blankenship in his testimony. “I feel that Alabama has more of an opportunity to manage this fishery in totality under the provisions of H.R. 2023 and H.R. 3588 than we currently have under NOAA Fisheries and current federal law.”
The Committee intends to mark up these bills in the coming weeks in the hopes of sending a bipartisan Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization to the floor this fall.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
