PANAMA CITY — Fishery managers are slated to vote on a proposal Thursday that would restructure the way recreational red snapper is managed in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which is meeting in Mobile, Ala., this week, will consider an amendment that would divide the current recreational allocation between charter/for-hire operators and private recreational anglers, which are now under the same umbrella.
“Sector separation” is an idea that’s been kicked around by the council for roughly the last seven years, and one that also has caused an intense separation of opinions among stakeholders in the recreational red snapper fishery.
--- MEETING LIVE STREAM AND MORE INFORMATION ---
Under current regulations, the red snapper catch is split between just two sectors, with 51 percent allotted to commercial anglers and 49 percent to recreational anglers.
Anglers vying against sector separation see the move as a way to further assign private ownership rights of the red snapper stock, similar to the implementation of the individual fishing quota system for commercial anglers in 2007, who buy shares of the total allowable catch.
If the council moves forward with sector separation, which would give the roughly 1,300 boats that hold federal for-hire permits their own portion of the catch, it also would need to decide how to set seasons and split the quota.
Proponents of the amendment, led by industry groups like the Charter Fisherman’s Association (CFA), see sector separation as a solution for the increasingly uncertain and shorter seasons for red snapper fishing.
Last week, the CFA sent a petition letter to Gov. Rick Scott asking that he advise the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to reconsider its opposing stance on sector separation.
--- MEETING LIVE STREAM AND MORE INFORMATION ---
“We’re a totally different component than the private angler,” said CFA Vice President Mike Colby, a charter captain in Clearwater. “Sector separation, it lets each component identify their unique needs and build a management plan that makes sense for their component.”
Colby said charter anglers should have their own portion of the catch because they provide a means for tourists and others with no boat to access the fishery.
“This isn’t about individual captains; this is about the people that come down here to enjoy this fishery,” Colby said. “It’s important to point out the recreational economic impact that this has.”