Help from Red Snapper Act

Published 6:02 pm Sunday, August 6, 2017

Area recreational offshore fishermen were given another three-day weekend to fish for red snapper this past week (ending today) and more will likely be coming.

Also, our U. S. senators — Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, both Republicans — have jumped on the wagon to give state fishermen more time to fish for snapper in federal waters by introducing a bill to address the mismanaged red snapper fisheries.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the added weekend, noting that the current total poundage take (736,139) was more than 250,000 pounds shy of the 1.04 million pound self-imposed cutoff number.

The red snapper fishing season had been extended 39 days earlier in the summer in an agreement between Louisiana and the four other Gulf states — Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Florida — and the U. S. Department of Commerce. 

Dates remaining are Aug. 11-13, Aug. l8-20, Aug. 25-27 and Sept. 1-4.

Senators Cassidy and Kennedy have introduced what they are calling the “Red Snapper Act of 2017.”

It addresses a long-term solution for red snapper recreational management in the private recreational sector.

“A long-term solution is overdue,” Cassidy said a news release. “While the health of the red snapper fishery improved, access for recreational fisherman and Louisiana families declined. The Red Snapper Act ensures better management and protections to keep the fishery thriving.”

Kennedy said, “The current federal-only management of red snapper has been a disaster. Our recreational fishermen have been unfairly left out of the decisions and they deserve a seat at the table. It makes no sense to leave people who don’t know the difference between a red snapper and a red-nose reindeer in complete control. Our bill aims to fix this problem by allowing the Gulf states to set recreational seasons and empowering decision makers with more accurate data, which will help both conservation and access.”

State representative Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) introduced and Clay Higgins (R-Port Barre) co-sponsored a companion legislation in the U.S. House.

“This is a step in the right direction as far as I am concerned,” said Louis Vallee, a longtime snapper fisherman and director of the Southwest Louisiana Fishing Rodeo. “The whole thing was that they were using faulty information to come up with the figures they did. They were basically taking the number of salt water licenses sold in the state and figuring that all were catching red snapper and that is just not so. It’s a good thing to get the state involved and get control of it.”

The Red Snapper Act

l Offers a balanced approach to address the management of Gulf red snapper in the private recreational sector.

lOffers more access for recreational fishermen.

lIncludes environmental protections to conserve the species and ensure sustainable and responsible fishery management.

lEmpowers states in the management of the fishery.

Two years ago the red snapper fishing season for recreational fishermen in Louisiana was 11 days. Earlier this summer a three day Gulf of Mexico season was announced (June 1-3).

The state then stepped in and got 39 additional days in an agreement with the U. S. Department of Commerce.