An educational series for Coastal Anglers
Who should manage the Gulf of Mexico’s Red Snapper fishery? This public debate has now reached Congress. A bill addressing the question passed through the committee process to the House of Representatives where it is waiting for a vote. So, let’s dig into the issue, shall we?
Presently, the Federal government is responsible for managing/enhancing the Red Snapper fishery in all Gulf waters beyond the nine-mile state limits. Inside this boundary, the fishery is managed by the bordering states. That lunacy begins a boondoggle that only governmental bureaucracy could have so effectively initiated! The fish don’t recognize the nine-mile boundary — so why such an arbitrary system?
Let’s look at results – the Federal Government’s management compared to management by the Gulf States’ Fish and Wildlife departments (under their state legislatures).
The Federal Government’s fisheries management spends $900 million dollars annually – yet, by their own admission, has never provided an accurate stock assessment of the Red Snapper fishery. $900 million dollars per year and they continue to fail at the basics upon which all fisheries policy and management must build.
Red Snapper are not pelagic. They are a reef fish living around underwater structures and moving very little. Yet, the samplings by NOAA’s Marine Fisheries “experts” take stock samplings primarily from outside where these fish live! How ludicrous, huh?
The Federal Government has further minimized the promising “Rigs to Reefs” program under which non-operational oil rigs were toppled to provide productive artificial reef environments. This formerly successful concept sustained and built the marine habitat onto what is often otherwise a barren Gulf seafloor. Sadly, politically-motivated efforts have undermined “Rigs to Reefs”. They mandated the explosion of old rigs, destroying their marine habitat, killing thousands of fish, and demolishing their artificial reef homes. You can watch an actual YouTube of this on the Facebook page “What Happened To Our Fish?”
Conversely, the Gulf States have exceptionally managed their small portion of the fishery. They have revived the formerly failing fisheries of Redfish, Speckled Trout, Snook, Grouper, and now Flounder. Through regulations, enforcement, habitat creation, and hatchery breeding/stocking programs, our state marine environments are healthy – hence providing fishing as a recreational resource for families and sport fishermen – all managed by the states with no support from the Feds.
Throughout their small nine-mile range from the shoreline, the five Gulf States have been building reefs to enhance the marine environment and promote fishery growth. While the Feds are wasting billions of dollars, unable to assess the Red Snapper stocks, and destroying marine habitats, the states are leveraging public funds by collaborating with conservation organizations and philanthropists to create new habitats and preserve others. By working together, they are creating and preserving marine habitats to achieve lasting conservation benefits for our coastal waters. This is an excellent ‘footprint’ to expand into what are now Federal waters.
Locally, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is building numerous reefs in nearshore sites along the Texas coast including Freeport, Port Mansfield, Corpus Christi, and Matagorda/Sargent, with new sites beginning at Rio Grande, Sabine, Galveston, and Port O’Connor.
Similar programs have been operating in all five of the Gulf States.
With such a dramatic difference in results between the fisheries managed by the states and those squandered by the Federal government’s efforts, why is there even a debate? Why hasn’t Congress passed House Bill HR3094 to transfer the management of the Gulf Red Snapper fishery from the Feds to the Gulf States?
Sadly, some Congressmen believe that only “Big Government” programs should solve all problems (despite the U.S. Constitution). Even more disappointingly, some politicians are receiving political contributions from those who benefit financially from the mismanaged systems. Certain rules are actually structured by committees comprised of individuals who financially benefit from their own rulemaking. These individuals are a few selected commercial fishing and federally-licensed charter fishing interests. A few dozen such operators have enjoyed millions in income from the current fiasco – “follow-the-money”.
The congressmen from Texas who are co-sponsoring U.S. House of Representatives’ bill HR3094 include Brian Babin, Gene Green, Pete Olson, John Mica, Louie Gohmert, Blake Farenthold, Ruben Hinojosa and John Carter. If this doesn’t include your Congressman, he is not a co-sponsor – but needs to be. He may be uninformed, one who believes only in “Big Government” solutions or possibly is influenced by campaign donations from beneficiaries of the boondoggle.
If your Congressman is not a co-sponsor to HR3094, his vote works AGAINST families and sport fishermen.
Do you want responsible management and a healthy fishery? Ask your U.S. Congressman to co-sponsor HR3094 to transfer the Gulf fisheries management to control by the five Gulf States. If your Congressman “talks the talk” but doesn’t agree to co-sponsor HR3094, then you are listening to “political speech”! Will you make one phone call?
To locate your U.S. Representative visit: www.house.gov/representatives find and type in your zip code. Click your Representative’s website for the phone number.
Follow Facebook page “What Happened To Our Fish?” to read about the fisheries management issue by scrolling down through the “newsfeed”.
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