The GMFM Council has published the 2007 red snapper rule.
http://www.gulfcouncil.org/Beta/GMFMCWeb/prrel/pr%202007-11.pdf
From April 21 for 11 days when the wind usually blow like a banshee we can keep 4 per person, after that it is just 2.
How do you feel about this rule?

You're right, it stinks.

I've written to the chairman for the committee on natural resources for all the good it will do. I'd be glad to email the text of the letter to you if you'd like to use it as well.

i feel unconstitutionally denied my rights as an angler, while the commercial permit holders STILL get to destroy the fishery.....

Sorry Guys, but its going to get worse. The lower fishing waters are getting tighter laws and I promise you it will come to the other regions too. I agree the commercial fishing is the real enemy . But hey we know money talks and average fishing dudes get a hook up the old butt. Look at the beachfront now rich zillionaires biult thier house on the beach and were told to keep off it . I know it sounds mean but was preying for Rita to wipe out all those rich butts homes ....

It has gotten to the point where it is absurd. Personally, I have no doubts as to the incredibly negative impact of offshore Gulf shrimpers' bycatch. I've been on those boats, and assure you, the death toll is staggering.

That said, I have to wonder. We, the recreational fishermen, are (at least allegedly) bound by restrictions set via the federal government (in federal waters). For a long, long time we have ... at least I have ... looked at the data provided by NMFS and taken it at face value, assuming it is at least reasonably valid. I have since learned that the federal data-collection process is, shall we say, "questionable" at best.

Laws have been slanted toward the commercial side for many years by the regulators of the NMFS and even the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council. Still, as one who enjoys eating a plate of fresh-fried shrimp as much as anyone else, and in the interest of being a reporter, I am making it my personal mission to investigate the information that is being utilized to justify our regulations. It is that information which mandates regulation of both the recreational and commercial sectors, and I believe that both parties deserve credible data that is supported by credible and tangible research.

I hope you will join me in that effort. I often work 70-hour weeks, and it isn't like I ... or you ... have tons of time to research government data that is almost certainly provided in the most confusing fashion possible. Still, being where we are now (the temporary 4-fish retention, in particular), I feel really compelled to at least start pointing the attention where it belongs ... toward Washington, D.C.

The more time we spend, justifiably or otherwise, pointing our fingers at the commercial fishing industry, the less accountability the federal government has to provide. Just imagine ... and I know this is a stretch ... if both the recreational and commercial communities could work together to achieve this primary goal, one of holding government accountable before justifying its decisions and actions.

We pay these peoples' salaries. We get to ask questions.

What do you think?

Boz

Larry Bozka

Larry, as I mentioned earlier in the post, I've written a fairly cogent letter to our dear federal govt about this issue; if you'd like the text of the letter to use I'll be glad to email it to you (if you're gonna publish it in a magazine, I'd sure appreciate being cited as the writer ;-) ).

Larry money talks poor fisherman just stink. We never had the ability to talk any Govenment body to do anything for average Joe fisherman .

First, let me say that I agree with everyone on this issue. We, the recreational fisherman often 'get the shaft' due to the regulations placed on the commercial fishery. We have to band together and fight. Larry, being a well known writer and outdoor enthusiast would be a great person to champion this process. After reading his post above it sounds as if he's already on top of it! - thanks Larry! Let's all try to do what we can to help.

Now, to play the devils advocate - Commercial fisherman are not the ONLY ones responsible for contributing to the death toll of red snapper in the gulf. I'm sure everyone reading this post have been on an offshore party boat fishing for snapper, right? How many times do you see fisherman or deck-hands throw back an undersized snapper, only to see the fish in shock, swimming in circles and just waiting to be gobbled up by a shark, porpose or other predator fish? You see it all the time, right? That really chaps my hide! Most people are unaware of 'fizzing' the fish (puncturing the air bladdder) or they just don't give a rat's butt. Keep in mind, there are still two schools of thought on whether fizzing is an acceptable practice or not. My personal experience is that it works, so I will continue to do it - especially if I'm fishing extremely deep water.

With that said - If the NMFS were smart, they would mandate that the FIRST 2 snapper caught be kept, regardless of size. This would lower the death toll significantly. Thoughts on this? Agree/disagree?

Sandie Man - I agree with you completely and have always decompressed the snapper that were undersize. Larry is a good friend of mine and have worked with him when he was with the Texas Fish & Game magazine a few years back, but we need more if not all the Outdoor Writers to climb aboard this band wagon and raise some stink about the feds process of regulation. NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service should allow the first 4 red snapper to become your limit regardless of size (no culling or throwing back) thus eliminating the resource to predator fish and everyone fishing being able to bring fish home with them instead of spending money for nothing on some trips.

This should have been the regulations years ago or at least give us the same ruling as the commercial boys, a minimum of 13" red snapper and allow 4 as your limit.

My .02

I'm with you Sandi Man and breambuster and Larry.

We do need accurate and credible science to base management decisions.

Also, IMO, we need to provide adequate resources to ENFORCE and PENALIZE those who do not adhere to the regulations!

You can legislate and enact all you want, but if there is not enough enforcement -or harsh enough penalties to deter to caught- the fishery still gets hurt.

I do know of movements to retire Shrimper permits and reduce the number of boats, but when I read of boats caught with tons of illegal or undersized fish, I wonder how many of those boats are seized and permits canceled?

Excuse my rant!

Man, you guys make some excellent points.

First of all, Zeke, I'd really like to see your letter. My hat's off to you for taking the initiative and writing. If just a small percentage of us would do that, it would, I really believe, make a difference.

Secondly, the "first four" makes plenty of sense to me ... just as it does in terms of small school trout that are deep-hooked on #8 shrimp-baited treble hooks and chunked back in the water.
Then again, that's my opinion ... which, along with 99 cents or so, will buy you a loaf of day-old bread.

Rag Man, you are right on about enforcement. Folks love to say "There oughta be a law." Passing a law is one thing. Enforcing it is entirely another (much like monitoring the so-called "TAC" (Total Allowable Catch) figures for sport and recreational catches. Unless someone I don't know is standing at all of the docks and weighing snapper catches as they are being brought in, I cannot imagine how in the world government agencies quantify that assessment (although, along with other things, I am going to work to find out).

And Sandy Man, you nailed it on the bladder-piercing issue. How many bull reds have you seen floating down the Galveston Ship Channel after being rapidly hoisted from a bottom 40 feet below? All for the sake of an ice pick puncture, those 20- and 30-year-old fish are all but dead within seconds of "release." They float offshore, belly-up, when they could so simply be effectively released to live, spawn and fight another day.

I remember when we were raising hell about redfish populations back in 1979 and 1980, during my tenure as the editor of CCA's TIDE Magazine. Our anger was justified, but then again, after I visited a Galveston beachfront pier in September of '81 and watched those big fish get stacked on the planks like the proverbial cordwood, it became mighty apparent we have to set good examples before pointing fingers.

I wrote a column about that incident (I still remember the title: "Hypocrisy at its Utmost") that I was really gratified to see get such a positive response. Bob "Pappy" Stephenson read it on the air during one of his Houston-based radio shows, and the listener response was astoundingly positive. Ditto for the people who responded to the "Currents" column in Texas Fisherman magazine (may she rest in peace).

I still believe Gulf shrimper bycatch is a major factor in the (at least "alleged")substantial over-pressuring of Gulf snapper stocks. But as you point out, catching and "releasing" so many little fish from 30-fathom-deep water without puncturing their air bladders first sets a pretty lousy precedent for other justifiable outrage.

I'm doing some homework. My most recent motivation for doing so is based on a long conversation I had a week ago with a fellow who owns a large seafood processing facility (much of what he handles, by the way, is pond-raised catfish, although I'll readily confess, I bought 5 pounds of big shrimptails while I was there, and they were great).

TFF is an excellent website, and aside from the extremely professional dedicated efforts of J.P. Greeson and team, ranks as such because of the outstanding quality of its audience. Being a part of these ranks makes me proud to call myself a "sport fisherman."

Best wishes to all. Keep me posted on the red snapper issue, and I will do the same.

Good fishing ...

Boz

Larry, sent you a PM with the text

Question for everyone... I have fished Snapper for years. Mostly 30 miles or farther when arent catching anything else. I practice "fizzing" when necessary. My question is, what are the laws reguarding snapper caught outside of federal waters. Not that it really makes sense to go that far just for snapper, but I have brought in limits a few different times and wondered if we had more could we get busted for bring fish back from international waters?

Hmmm - damn good question. I bet this would be one of those 'judgement call' issues with the Game Warden. He may put the onus on you to PROVE you were fishing in International waters. Heck, I don't know....good question though.

Anybody out there know how this works?

I seem to recall seeing something about international waters questions awhile back - bottom line I got out of it was that you may not be IN POSSESSION of more than the Federal Limit while in Federal waters, regardless of where you caught them, unless you're appropriately licensed. By the by, this could apply if you're fishing in state waters too ...

Say this summer you're fishing for Red Snapper only 7 miles from shore & catch your TX limit (4 fish), then decide to venture out past 9 miles to go after amberjack. If you somehow get an official visit in Federal waters & you're in possession of twice the Federal limit, you could have a problem, as the limit there will be only 2. Of course, the problem we have with the limits in the first place is that nobody is out there enforcing the laws for commercial or recreational fishermen.

On the practical side, if you have a boat that can range out past the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone just to fish for snapper, I'd love to have you as a fishing buddy!! :-)