9 Day snapper season

[dmtfish]

Just read that the GMFC has adjusted the season in La to 9 days...What a bunch of a$$ clowns....

"CCA Louisiana Responds to Adjustments to Federal Red Snapper Season

Federal managers more interested in punitive measures than in meaningful solutions

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council announced earlier today the 2013 adjusted red snapper season for Louisiana and it appears that Bayou State anglers will see their snapper season cut from 27 days to just nine days in federal waters. The adjustment, announced by Roy Crabtree, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries, is widely viewed as retaliation for the state’s plans to go out of compliance with federal snapper regulations in 2013.

The announcement is just the latest shock in federal management of red snapper. In the wake of ever-decreasing seasons contrasted against a booming red snapper population, confidence in federal fisheries management is at an all-time low. Louisiana and Florida, citing multiple flaws in federal management of red snapper, subsequently announced plans to join Texas in going out of compliance with federal regulations in state waters. In response, federal authorities acquired new powers to punish non-compliant states, setting the stage for today’s announcement of a nine-day season.

“CCA Louisiana believes that this adjustment to the Louisiana red snapper season is outrageous and based on arbitrary and faulty estimates of the potential increased efforts,” said David Cresson, executive director of CCA Louisiana. “By choosing to confront the states in this way, the federal government is signaling that it is not interested in seeking meaningful solutions to this abysmal situation and is instead content to focus on punitive measures.”

Earlier this year, fisheries managers from Louisiana presented a regional management plan that would allow individual states to manage fish stocks off their respective coasts. Though the plan was focused on flexibility and extensive data gathering and was supported by CCA and anglers across Louisiana and the Gulf, it was rejected by the Gulf Council. In response, Louisiana announced plans for a weekend-only red snapper season in state waters.

“State-based fishery management has engineered some of the greatest marine conservation victories in the country, such as red drum and speckled trout. Our own Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has earned a great deal of respect managing our wild resources, but the same cannot be said for NOAA Fisheries,” said Cresson. “Red snapper is no longer a conservation issue, it’s a management issue, and federal management is failing. We believe the states could do a far better job of ensuring not only the health of these fish stocks, but maximizing the ability of their citizens to access and enjoy them.”

["W"]

And they also run our healthcare!!!

[spotchasin]

Sucks. Those of us on the west side won't be able to take advantage of the state season. Then the fed is going to cut us to 9 days what a crock.

[capt hoop]

We as charter captains with federal permits are only going to be allowed to run our business for 9 days. Durring those 9 days we will NOT be allowed to fish 4 of them bacause if we enter state waters with red snapper on Monday through Thursday we will be in violation of state regulations.

[Mako19]

Originally Posted by capt hoop

We as charter captains with federal permits are only going to be allowed to run our business for 9 days. Durring those 9 days we will NOT be allowed to fish 4 of them bacause if we enter state waters with red snapper on Monday through Thursday we will be in violation of state regulations.

Captain Hoop,
I understood that the extended state snapper season was in addition to the federal season. During the federal season the state wlseason will stay open all week.

[meaux fishing]

Originally Posted by Mako19

Captain Hoop,
I understood that the extended state snapper season was in addition to the federal season. During the federal season the state wlseason will stay open all week.

Not unless they have changed it in the past few days

[Montauk17]

What a joke.....government work at it's finest. Gunna put alot of people out of work.

[Sightwindow]

A low rent move by a bunch of clowns who have no idea how the real world works and act punitively in the direction of people who dare to question THEIR science.

[Dogface]

Originally Posted by Sightwindow

A low rent move by a bunch of clowns who have no idea how the real world works and act punitively in the direction of people who dare to question THEIR science.

Well said!!!

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by dmtfish

“CCA Louisiana believes that this adjustment to the Louisiana red snapper season is outrageous and based on arbitrary and faulty estimates of the potential increased efforts,” said David Cresson, executive director of CCA Louisiana. “By choosing to confront the states in this way, the federal government is signaling that it is not interested in seeking meaningful solutions to this abysmal situation and is instead content to focus on punitive measures.”

The GMFMC pseudo-science is driving this confrontation. Real science is about open debate and actually employing the best methods to understand the status of the stocks in support of policies based on the best available science. In contrast, the GMFMC pseudo-science seems pre-determined to support the Vision 2020 plan of marine fisheries being shifted to catch and release only by 2020.

There is a fantasy that originates in the PETA/Greenpeace mindset that less human involvement will always improve the environment and that the use of natural resources is always bad. In the snapper debate, this fallacy missed the key point that the increased production of snapper due to artificial reefs and nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico will create a red snapper population capable of itself causing environmental harm if allowed to become and remain overpopulated. The Gulf of Mexico is far from virgin waters, and there simply are not enough natural predators to control the population of snapper.

Just like deer have the potential to overpopulate, and without sufficient human harvest, they will eat themselves out of house and home and reach densities where disease propagation and vegetative regeneration are real problems. Without sufficient density of sharks and dolphins and other predators, humans have a key role to play preventing red snapper over population in the Gulf of Mexico. Over abundant red snapper will deplete their food sources as well as the food sources of other species with significant forage and habitat overlap. Just as man needs to harvest sufficient numbers of deer to maintain ecological balance on land, man needs to harvest sufficient numbers of red snapper to maintain ecological balance in the Gulf of Mexico.

["W"]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

The GMFMC pseudo-science is driving this confrontation. Real science is about open debate and actually employing the best methods to understand the status of the stocks in support of policies based on the best available science. In contrast, the GMFMC pseudo-science seems pre-determined to support the Vision 2020 plan of marine fisheries being shifted to catch and release only by 2020.

There is a fantasy that originates in the PETA/Greenpeace mindset that less human involvement will always improve the environment and that the use of natural resources is always bad. In the snapper debate, this fallacy missed the key point that the increased production of snapper due to artificial reefs and nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico will create a red snapper population capable of itself causing environmental harm if allowed to become and remain overpopulated. The Gulf of Mexico is far from virgin waters, and there simply are not enough natural predators to control the population of snapper.

Just like deer have the potential to overpopulate, and without sufficient human harvest, they will eat themselves out of house and home and reach densities where disease propagation and vegetative regeneration are real problems. Without sufficient density of sharks and dolphins and other predators, humans have a key role to play preventing red snapper over population in the Gulf of Mexico. Over abundant red snapper will deplete their food sources as well as the food sources of other species with significant forage and habitat overlap. Just as man needs to harvest sufficient numbers of deer to maintain ecological balance on land, man needs to harvest sufficient numbers of red snapper to maintain ecological balance in the Gulf of Mexico.

Red Snapper are like loaded in the gulf beyond what Gov knows, I have yet to see a platform in 50-150ft of water not have more snapper than you would spend time fishing for ....