NOAA fisheries managers ‘find another closet of fish’
During a year in which state and federal fisheries managers have stood toe to toe over red snapper management, some good news was revealed today — federal officials have apparently promised an estimated 4 million pounds of snapper will be released later this year to provide for a fall red snapper season. “They are going to say they found another closet of fish,” Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Randy Pausina told Louisiana Sportsman shortly before the start of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting.
Pausina said he has been told a federal fall season will open for 20 days, although he said it could be for longer than that.
The news comes after a federal judge on May 31 slapped the hand of NOAA managers who had announced a federal season structure that punished Louisiana and other Gulf states for going non-compliant with federal season regulations and setting their own state fishing seasons.
