By: Bob Shipp
During the final weeks of November, the U.S. House of Representatives held testimony on a bill that would transfer management of red snapper to the Gulf states, through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. This Bill, H.R. 3099, was sponsored by Representative Jeff Miller, of Florida, but it had 20 co-sponsors, including 14 Republicans, and six Democrats, representing 12 states, including all five Gulf States.
The essence of the bill is that the Gulf states would assume responsibility for data collection, stock assessment, enforcement and other parameters necessary for optimal management of red snapper.
On first reading of the bill, I was pleased that it was a step in the right direction, but concerned that the language appeared to allow the Secretary of Commerce to oversee its implementation. There were continued references to quotas and conservation measures compatible with the Magnuson Act. Certainly no one objects to the goals of Magnuson, but the methods of implementation, especially annual catch limits, annual catch targets and associated buffers are troublesome. The whole concept of catch shares is equally troublesome, and this has also been spawned from Magnuson through the guidelines promulgated by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
But on more careful review, my fears are allayed. There is language that clearly states that when the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission has certified the proper management measures, the Secretary will “revoke federal regulations and portions of the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish resources of the Gulf of Mexico that conflict with the plan for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, and transfer management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper to such states.”
That’s the good news. But this is only step one in a four-step process. The Bill has been introduced. Now it has to pass both houses and go to the president for signature to become law.
How likely is this to happen? With this exact language, with a new Congress, and with the entire Magnuson Act in review, probably not in the detail routing described above. But this signals real momentum to fix the red snapper conundrum.
Who would object to this fix? Unfortunately, there is a very strong objection from commercial interests. They have a well-oiled management system that has stabilized their harvest of red snapper. But this bill specifically states that commercial quotas would rise when justified by new stock assessments, something almost everyone agrees will happen. If I were a commercial fisherman, I would fear the long-term solution if we don’t fix this absurd recreational fishery.
It is going to be interesting to watch Congress address the Gulf of Mexico red snapper issue. As I’ve said in previous columns, that’s where the solution lies.
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