I just found this article below and thought I would pass it on.


Rep. Bonner Introduces Gulf Fisheries Fairness Act


WASHINGTON � U.S. Representative Jo Bonner, R-Alabama, has introduced legislation to extend the state water boundaries of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, affording the states greater control over reef fisheries and effectively opening up more Gulf waters to fishing.

"The status quo of 27-day fishing seasons with two-fish-a-day limits is absolutely unacceptable. The Gulf Fisheries Fairness Act will provide Alabama and the other Gulf states the authority to manage local fisheries, and our fishermen and tourism industry will gain a life-line they so desperately need," said Rep. Jo Bonner, the bill's chief sponsor.

"The current one-size-fits-all reef fish management policy in place in the Gulf is antiquated and doesn't accurately reflect decades' worth of reef management policies implemented by our states," Rep. Bonner added. "Under current law, if federal regulations for Gulf reef fish are more restrictive than state regulations, federal fishing permit holders must comply with federal regulations regardless of where the fish are harvested. This has forced ridiculously onerous federal restrictions on Gulf fishing, including an unworkable 27-day Red Snapper season this year that will put many charter fishermen out of business and eliminate access to this bountiful resource for recreational anglers."

The Gulf Fisheries Fairness Act resets the state water boundaries for the purposes of reef fish management for all five Gulf states to an average depth of 20 fathoms (120 feet) or nine nautical miles, whichever is farthest. At present, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have three mile boundaries, while Florida and Texas are set at nine miles.

In recent years, fishermen in the Gulf have been subjected to increasingly stringent regulation by the federal government that is unnecessarily threatening the local economy. At the same time, empirical data and anecdotal evidence show the Red Snapper fishery is as healthy as it has ever been.

This week, Dr. Robert Shipp, three-time chair of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, noted researcher and professor of Marine Sciences at the University of South Alabama, testified before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee that the current management of reef species in the Gulf of Mexico is failing � both the fish and the fishermen. Dr. Shipp also voiced support for the concept of increasing Gulf states' fishery management authority.

Several Gulf Coast lawmakers have already pledged their support for the "Gulf Fisheries Fairness Act" to Rep. Bonner.

For release: March 15, 2013

I'm onboard as a supporter!

It sure would be nice if this gets passed.

What we also need to do is copy Alabama's artificial reef program. Instead of painfully watching oil rigs disappear and watching the SLOW progress of building reefs we could actually all contribute to reef making. In Alabama I am reading that you can pay 25 dollars to get your reefing material inspected and approved and then you can place it inside a 1,200 square mile reefing area. Imagine having your own snapper spot that nobody knows about. Oh, and actually being able to keep them. But, one thing at a time I guess. If this act gets passed it will be a big step in the right direction.


http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/saltwater/fisheries/artificial-reefs/

it's already happening here. save your beer $$, I am.
http://www.reef-man.com/

Great Ideal developing Your own reef.... One trip I was on, noticed washer,dryers stacked up on back of boat.... They kicked them off at a special spot and kept on moving - their own little reef when you need a honey hole!

I've talked to Tom Hilton at more than one boat show, fishing show or event and he really doesn't know when he'll be getting to deploy off of Port A and Packery. But these pyramid reefs that he sells for $1000 aren't really big enough to do a whole lot individually but if you put more than one out you could really pull in some fish.

One vision I had was getting some tunaheads together and pooling our money to put several out there. And when anyone wanted to come down to the coast and snapper fish we could go out in my boat.

But using beer money for this is a stretch though.

They did that over on 2Cool. I think they paid for 8. Here is a link

http://www.reef-man.com/index_vancouver.php

We should all be very thankful to all who have contributed to reef making including Tom Hilton, reef man and even a few on this site. I just wish we could build more reefs so that we can gain more than we are losing due to Idle Iron. That's why I think that we would need to do something similar to Alabama's reefing program to really make an impact. Just my opinion.