Gulf Council Faced With Some Heavy Lifting

By: Dr. Bob Shipp

As I write this column, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is preparing to meet in Mobile, Ala. to address some of the most contentious issues it has in years. I will devote this space to two of these: sector separation and reallocation. Of course red snapper is the problem child which has led to this crisis, but the Gulf Council decision may well spill over to other species in the years to come.

As you are reading this, the sector separation decision may have been made, or it may have been delayed. Either way, I think it’s important for anglers to know the implications of sector separation.

Sector separation is a management tool whereby the recreational quota (in this case red snapper) is divided and allocated partially to the private recreational fishermen and partially to “for hire” (charter) operators. Since the red snapper quota is currently already divided roughly 50-50 with the commercial sector, this means the 50 percent allocated to the recreational sector will be subdivided again. Exactly what percent would go to each recreational grouping would be decided by the council, but current preference seems to be about 57 percent to the private recreational and 43 percent to the “for hire” guys.

And the way this is structured, the “for hire” guys could use their quota when they wanted, although exactly how each captain gets his “share” is yet to be decided.

This is a lose-lose situation, fraught with many pitfalls. It has come about from the woeful mismanagement of the red snapper resource. It has pitted one group against the other and will likely result in a plethora of unintended consequences. For example, the way the Magnuson Act is written, when the recreational quota is harvested, the fishery must close for everyone. So a captain who is saving his “shares” for a fall season could lose them all.

But I can see why many in the “for hire” community are so forcefully supporting this concept. Their backs are against the wall, and they feel this is the only way they can survive. And although there are so many unanswered questions (e.g. major conflicts in the effort data yet to be resolved that could redistribute subquotas), many in the charter industry feel they can’t wait any longer.

This question is up for “final action” at the October council meeting, and may be resolved by the time this issue of Coastal Angler is published. But in my mind, “resolved” is anything but. If sector separation is passed, it will be intriguing to watch the consequences.

The second issue is reallocation of red snapper between commercial and recreational sectors. The current quota is increasing and probably will continue to increase for several years. The question becomes how should those increases be divided? Should the current roughly 50-50 allocation also apply to the increases, or should the recreational sector be given a larger share of the increase. The preferred alternative of the council is to allocate 75 percent of the increase to the recreational. But this is hotly debated, and the council is sharply divided. This is not up for final action at this meeting, but it is on the agenda, and things may change one way or the other.

Obviously I have opinions on both of these issues, but at this point I just want Coastal Angler readers to know what has and is going on. In future columns, as the ramifications of these Council actions become evident, we can appreciate their impacts.

Dr. Shipp served 18 years on the Gulf Council, and three terms as council chair. See his “Guide to Gulf Fishes” at bobshipp.com.  

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