More Fish, Less Fishing?

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 in good health or rebuilt.

Why not?

The health of the red snapper stock is not based only on the number of fish or biomass (weight) of red snapper in the Gulf. On the surface it may seem to be the practical way to make that judgment but, it’s really not the best indication of a fish stocks sustainability, or ability to reproduce for years to come. The red snapper stock is measured in terms of egg production, known as spawning potential. Larger, older fish produce many more eggs than smaller, younger fish; so counting egg production to predict the health and sustainability of a stock is more accurate than counting numbers of fish.

(Collins, Fitzhugh, et al. 2001)

Check out this graph. It shows how red snapper batch fecundity (the number of eggs in millions produced by each fish during a spawn) changes as the fish get older. As you can see the number of eggs produced by a red snapper really takes off at about 8 years.

To put this spawning ability into perspective:

Artwork: Dianne Rome Peebles

One 24-inch female red snapper (about a 8 year old fish) produces as many eggs as 212 17-inch females (about 5 years old).                    (FWC)

So, What Does This Mean?

Age and spawning success is a big part of why you’re seeing more and more fish. Unfortunately, the science isn’t giving the green light to dramatically increase the harvest. The average size of a red snapper harvested this year will weigh approximately 7.70 pounds, which is about a 7-year-old fish. It is great that fish are getting bigger and we need that trend to continue because the stock won’t be reproductively successful (considered healthy/sustainable) until we have more older, bigger fish around to spawn.

Photo: Mike Jennings

When will we see an increase in the amount of red snapper we can harvest?

We already have. Beginning in 2009 the science has indicated that the red snapper population is indeed rebuilding. Each year the Gulf Council has recommended an annual increase in the red snapper quota (the number of pounds of red snapper that can be harvested).

If the quota is going up every year, why does the season keep getting shorter?

There are a couple of reasons for the shrinking red snapper season. As the stock begins to rebuild we are seeing more fish than we have in recent memory, and these fish are getting bigger as time passes. Additionally, as the red snapper stock rebuilds their geographical range increases and fishermen catch them in places they have not typically been found. The more fish there are, the easier it is to catch them, and the quota is harvested faster. Even though the number of annual red snapper fishing trips has gone down, those trips are more successful, with more anglers bringing home their bag limit of big red snapper.

This year the National Marine Fisheries Service is predicting that an average of 18,922 red snapper will be landed each day during the open season, which is over three times more than the 6000 red snapper landed per day in 2007.

Photo: Mark Miller

As the stock grows, the average size of red snapper is also increasing and there are more large fish to catch. Anglers are catching more pounds of fish per trip, even though they are keeping the same number of fish. Since fish quotas are set in pounds, the quota is filled faster with fewer individual fish. The National Maine Fisheries Service predicts that average size of red snapper harvested this year will weigh 7.70 pounds, which is about twice the weight of the typical red snapper caught in 2007.

Where do we go from here?

A benchmark stock assessment is underway and expected to be completed in June of this year. Once we have the results of the assessment the Councils scientific advisors (the Scientific and Statistical Committee) will recommend harvest levels based on the new science and Council will recommend fishery management measures to achieve those harvest goals. 

February 2013 Council Meeting Preview

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 morning, and we invite you to join us either in person at the Marriott, or you can listen in live from your computer. Check out the committee agenda and the full Council agenda. 

An informal question and answer session will be held Wednesday evening after the meeting; this should start around 5:30.

Public comment will be held on Thursday, February 7^th from 1:15 to 5:00 p.m.

Join us and let the Council know what you think about current issues.

This meeting will be a bit different because the Council held a special reef fish committee meeting in early January. The committee will meet again next week, but it tackled some big issues in January that await final review by the full Council next week.

Photo: Capt. Murphy

Some highlights from the special meeting:

The reef fish committee was presented with an analysis of the 2013 red snapper season length, including information on what may happen if states make recreational red snapper regulations that are not consistent with the federal season.

The committee requested that staff develop an Accountability Measure that gives NMFS authority to close the federal waters off of a state if that state makes rules that are inconsistent with the federal regulations.  

The committee then reviewed the framework action to modify the 2013 red snapper quotas and recreational bag limit. For Action 1 they chose to make the preferred alternative Alternative 2, which would raise the 2013 commercial red snapper quota to 4,315,000 pounds and the recreational red snapper quota to 4,145,000 pounds. For Action 2 Council chose to make the preferred alternative Alternative 1: No Action; which would maintain the 2 fish per day recreational red snapper bag limit.

Read the full document or watch this video to learn more about the red snapper framework.

The committee then discussed allocation of red snapper. Currently, the total amount of snapper that can be harvested is split 51% commercial and 49% recreational. The committee voted to maximize the available days to recreational fishermen and remove any alternative in the document that would take allocation away from the recreational fishery.

Remember: motions made by the committee are only recommendations to the full Council and do not become official actions unless and until the full Council moves to accept those recommendations.

Next week, in addition to reviewing the reef fish committees recommendations, the Council plans to tackle the following issues:

Framework  addressing Vermilion Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, and Venting Tool requirements.

·      Vermilion Snapper- Is not overfished or experiencing overfishing. The Council is considering changing the Annual Catch Limit for vermilion and revising the recreational bag limit.
·      Yellowtail Snapper- Is not overfished or experiencing overfishing so, the Council is considering adjusting the Annual Catch Limit.
·      Venting Tool Requirements- Current regulations mandate the possession and use of venting tools when targeting reef fish. The Council is considering changing this rule because venting may not always be necessary.

Read the full document and watch this video to learn more about the framework.  

Regional Management of Red Snapper – Reef Fish Amendment 39

The Council is developing a document that explores the idea of managing the recreational red snapper quota in separate regions. At this meeting the Council will review the draft amendment and public comments received during recent scoping workshops.

Read the full scoping document, this quick guide, and watch this video about regional management.

Photo: Capt. Murphy

For-Hire Days-at-Sea Pilot Program

The Council will review a scoping document that explores a possible pilot program that would allow a sample of for-hire fishermen to fish a specified number of days  or trips throughout the year instead of using the recreational season.

Electronic Reporting Requirements for Headboats

Next week the Council will review a document that considers changing the frequency and method with which headboats report their catch.

As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.

Red Snapper: Special Meeting of the Reef Fish Committee

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 red snapper fishing as a way to increase the number of fishing days.

• Allocation- The committee will work on a scoping document that considers the division of the red snapper annual catch limit between commercial and recreational fishing sectors. Currently, 49% of red snapper is allocated to the recreational sector and 51% is allocated to commercial fishing. 

• 5-Year Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program Review- The reef fish Committee will review a draft of the 5-year review of the Individual Fishing Quota program. The document contains analysis of the social, economic, and biological impacts that the program has had on the fishery, and recommendations for changes to the program that have been made by a variety of different advisory groups.

• Regional Management- The committee will review a scoping document that considers managing red snapper in separate regions. Committee will also discuss the outcomes of a meeting held for the directors of the fish and wildlife departments from each Gulf state to discuss the idea of regional management.

Photo: Mark Miller

This meeting will be held from 1:30-5:00 pm on Monday, January 7^th and from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 8^th.  The meeting agenda can be found here.

This meeting is open to the public. You are welcome to join us in person at the Airport Hilton in Tampa, Florida or you can join the webinar to listen in from the comforts of home. 

As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.

Meet the Council: Chairman Doug Boyd (Chair from 2012 -2014)

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 all, they’re responsible for balancing different perspectives, and sometimes competing interests, to make regulations that affect us all.

Each Council member is selected to serve because of their personal experience, expertise, and interest in the Gulf fisheries. Let’s pull back the curtain and introduce them to you so that you can better understand their perspectives, and perhaps find a connection with the folks who share your passion for the fishery.

We’ll start this series by introducing the Chairman of the Gulf Council, Doug Boyd. He’s a dynamic and hard working guy with numerous interests and hobbies, including fishing. Over the years, Doug has invested a significant amount of time and effort representing recreational anglers on different government advisory panels and advocacy groups. His expertise and familiarity serving on advisory boards helped launch him into the position of Chairman during his first term as a member of the Gulf Council.

Doug’s first passion in life was not found underwater; quite the opposite in fact. He was drawn to the airfields where he did manual labor in exchange for flying time. Doug eventually washed enough planes and changed enough oil to complete his lessons and become a commercial pilot. When the Vietnam War began, Doug took a civilian contract with the U.S. Air Force working as an instructor pilot teaching primary flight training to Vietnamese student pilots.

After completing his contract with the U.S. Air Force, Doug spent 30 years working as a banker in San Antonio, Texas. He has since retired and now owns a small construction company that builds custom residential properties. Doug has also found an excuse to pursue his passion for antiques by partnering with a home décor company to share a small storefront where he sells antiques from his collection.

Doug and fellow Council members reading their Oath

In addition to being a businessman, husband, and father, Doug found time to get involved with fisheries advocacy and management. He joined the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), a recreational fishing advocacy group, in the early 1980’s. Doug has since become a board member for CCA Texas where he serves as the Vice President. and he sits on CCA’s national board. Doug is a longtime member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council responsible for conserving, restoring, and enhancing aquatic resources for recreational fishing and boating. Doug also sits on the Shrimp Advisory Panel for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Doug currently lives in the Texas hill country in a town called Boerne. He also owns a little fish camp down in Port O’Connor, Texas. If you want to get in touch with him you can connect with him directly at: douglassboyd@yahoo.com

Finally, to close our get-to-know-you with Doug, I asked him a few questions about fisheries management in the Gulf. Here’s what he had to say:

What motivates you to serve on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council?

“I want to try and preserve the critters and keep the fisheries a viable resource for us and for the people who come after us. The world is not ours, we are caretakers put here for a generation, and we don’t want to misuse the resource that has been given to us. Don’t get me wrong, I want to fish and I want to eat fish, I just want to be sure that is possible for everyone that comes after me, too.”

What do you think is the most important issue in our fishery?

“Right now, improving the accuracy and timeliness of our fisheries science is the most important thing for us to focus on. With improved data we can make better management decisions that allow us to be more accurate in utilizing the resource to its full potential without harming the future of the fishery.”

How do you hope to improve the fisheries science?

“I want to work collectively with the Council’s science advisors (the Scientific and Statistical Committee) and the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Science Center to make sure that the fisheries science we already have is useful and accurate. I want everyone to constantly double check that we’re doing things as accurately and thoroughly as possible. We need to keep working to improve the data, even if we get to the point where we think it’s good enough we need to always look forward and anticipate how we can do better.”

Do you have a favorite fishing tale you can share with us?

“Two of my most memorable fishing moments in the recent past involve unexpected encounters.

I was wade fishing a flat for redfish in Port Mansfield, Texas in crystal clear water. I was standing about waist deep and noticed towards the shore in the shallows there was a massive fish running after bait. This animal repeatedly chased bait to the shore where it would break the surface and little fish would explode out of the water. Of course it piqued my interest, and I wanted a chance to catch whatever was feeding, so I moved towards the action. The closer I got to the shore the further I got from the safety of my anchored boat. When I got within casing distance I realized that the feeding fish was actually a tiger shark, and a hungry one at that. It was a beautiful sight, but I didn’t stick around to watch what happened next.

A few months later, I had an opportunity to fish some unfamiliar waters at the mouth of Mobile Bay in Fort Morgan, Alabama. I went wading on the beach and made my way to the second sandbar in waist deep water. I had to practically swim through the deeper channels to get to my spot, but it paid off because fish were everywhere. I was playing around catching skipjacks one after another until I noticed a huge dark shadow slowly moving towards me and the school of fish I was catching. I took off as the shadow approached closer and closer and retreated back to the first sandbar. That’s when I realized that I was being stalked by nothing more that a curious manatee.”