MOBILE, Ala. — Federal fishery managers approved a proposal Thursday to split the Gulf recreational red snapper fishery between charter/for hire anglers and private recreational anglers.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted at a Mobile meeting in favor of “sector separation,” a measure that also has caused a split among anglers in the region in recent years.
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. Sector separation would further divide the 49 percent recreational quota among the roughly 1,500 charter boats that hold federal permits and private recreational anglers.
Pam Anderson, operations manager at Capt. Anderson’s Marina in Panama City Beach, attended the meeting and said she fears sector separation will lead to catch-share programs for recreational anglers in the future.
A catch-share program is currently in place for commercial red snapper anglers and requires participants to buy up shares of the total allowable catch. Anglers, like Anderson, see sector separation as a way to further assign private ownership rights of the red snapper stock.
“We are concerned because we know the goal of sector separation is to further reduce the number of people that participate in the fishery,” Anderson said. “That is what has happened with every catch-share program in the United States. We are hoping and praying that doesn’t happen in our area.”
However, the council said it intends to continue a “derby-style” red snapper fishery for both sectors and also plans to review the program in three years, when the sector separation amendment is scheduled to expire.
While Thursday’s vote left some disappointed, charter industry groups like the Charter Fisherman’s Association (CFA) praised the change, citing better access to the fishery on the horizon for Gulf anglers.
“By voting to pass Amendment 40, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took a critical first step toward ensuring that all Gulf anglers get the added flexibility in management they need and increased access they deserve,” CFA Executive Director Shane Cantrell said in a released statement.“We look forward to working with the Gulf Council and all recreational fishermen to develop new management that works for everyone.”