Photo: Ben Despite annual increases in the recreational red snapper quota, the fishing season has become progressively shorter since 1996. This has negatively impacted both private and for-hire recreational fishermen. The Council is considering a pilot Days-at-Sea program to address the negative impacts that current management measures have had on the for-hire component of…
Ever want to give the Gulf Council some advice? Not take a long walk off a short pier kind of advice but actually directly sharing your knowledge of the fishery with the Council. Would you be interested in reviewing documents and making suggestions before Council votes on anything? Would you be interested in…
Photo: Kathy Hoak Why does the recreational red snapper season keep getting shorter even though we are seeing more red snapper than ever before? We know you’re seeing more snapper than ever before, and this is a great indicator that the rebuilding plan is working, but it does not mean that the stock is…
Photo: Mark Miller Ahoy, We’re getting ready for next week’s Council meeting in Mobile, Alabama. The meeting will officially start on Tuesday, but the entire day will be closed session (not open to the public) while the Council interviews candidates for the Executive Director position. The meeting will open to the public on Wednesday…
Photo: Mike Jennings The Gulf Council’s Reef Fish Management Committee is holding a special meeting next week to address a number of different red snapper issues: Quotas and bag limit- The committee will discuss a framework action that will set the 2013 commercial and recreational quotas, and considers reducing the bag limit for recreational…
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is responsible for making some pretty important decisions. So who is this group of people? And, what qualifies them to make fishery management decisions? It’s about time we get to know the members of the Gulf Council a little better. After…
Ahoy, We’re gearing up for another Council meeting that’s taking place next week (October 29 – November 1) at the Marriott Courtyard in Gulfport, Mississippi. As always, Dr. Roy Crabtree, the Regional Administrator of NOAA Fisheries will host an informal question and answer session on Tuesday after the meeting concludes. We’ll be hosting a…
Ahoy, We’re gearing up for another Council meeting that’s taking place next week (October 29 – November 1) at the Marriott Courtyard in Gulfport, Mississippi. If you’re interested in what we plan to discuss you can find the schedule here, and all the briefing materials can be found here. As always, Dr. Roy Crabtree,…
Photo: Troy Frady We’ve been working on developing some different grouper management options and we’d like you to let us know which of the possible options suit you best, and why. First, we’re reconsidering the recreational 2013 gag season and bag limit. We are not reducing the amount of gag that can be harvested,…
What is Sector Allocation? Photo: Doug Gregory Sector allocation considers setting allocations for gag, red grouper, black grouper, and red snapper. While allocation has traditionally been set between commercial and recreational sectors, this document considers sub-dividing the recreational allocation into private, for-hire, and possibly headboat sectors. How far along is the Council in making decisions?…