Offshore Fishing

The ongoing turmoil at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries continued Thursday in the wake of its opposition to regional management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico — but this time another state is involved in the dust-up.[…]

On the same day embattled Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Charlie Melancon called a full staff meeting to tell employees he was remaining in charge of the agency, Gov. John Bel Edwards said he still believed in state management of red snapper — even though funding concerns prevented him from getting behind a congressional bill that would give the Gulf states full control of the fishery. […]

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ contention that state-run management of red snapper would cost more than $10 million in its first year alone was undermined Wednesday when Congressional officials confirmed the federal government would still pay for stock assessments and research efforts in the Gulf of Mexico — absorbing most of the LDWF cost estimate.[…]