Longer summer season, possible fall fishing could be announced, Center for Coastal Conservation says
The National Marine Fisheries Service will tomorrow (April 12) publish in the federal register new rules for the 2012 red snapper season, according to Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Coastal Conservation.
The new rules are expected to add 10 days to the recreational season, and allow for autumn seasons, provided that anglers don’t exceed the total allowable catch for 2012.”They have apparently found some flexibility in the statute,” Angers said. “I’m not sure what has led them to this. Could it be all the states threatening to go non-compliant?”
Texas has already refused to abide by federal red snapper regulations, and Louisiana discussed doing the same at the April meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
The Commission is expected to consider becoming non-compliant at its May meeting.
Although Angers was non-committal on the compliancy issue, his organization would love to see management of red snapper turned over to the states.
“States have done a much better job at managing fisheries than the federal government,” he said. “Most every fishery that’s in good shape is managed by the states, and nearly every fishery that’s overfished is managed by the federal government.”
Red snapper is certainly not an exception to that rule.
“Red snapper is a mess, and it’s been a mess for 15 years,” Angers said.
