For Immediate Release
May 20, 2020
The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils convened a joint workgroup to address Section 102: Fishery Management Measures of the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018. The Joint Workgroup was comprised of Council members from the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, and met via webinar on Monday, May 18, 2020.
The Joint Workgroup was presented with an overview of Section 102: Fishery Management Measures of the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Act of 2018 and heard numerous presentations on potential alternative management strategies that could be considered for improving recreational fisheries management.
The Joint Workgroup identified the following goals for its future work:
- Greater accessibility for recreational fishermen in the red snapper fishery
- Stability in management
- Avoidance of in-season closures, when possible
- Accounting for uncertainty in the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP)
- Flexibility in management techniques
- Improving data collection on harvest and discards
- Managing public expectations and striving for high levels of public buy-in
The Joint Workgroup plans to convene again in the late summer or early fall of 2020 to continue discussions of these measures and to consider which species may be good candidates for alternative management strategies.