Sen. Marco Rubio calls for Commerce IG to review controversial red snapper regulations
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which sets the rules, announced last month that the 2015 ban would be extended into 2016. In his letter, Rubio argues that the years-long plan isn’t working and that public distrust is at “an all-time high.” A study of red snapper populations released in April found that the species still hasn’t recovered from over fishing and is still being overfished despite the strict regulations. While anglers must release red snapper, biologists estimate that roughly 40 percent of fish caught and released will later die due to the trauma of being reeled in from the ocean’s deep depths. But many fishermen dispute the study’s findings and have long criticized the regulations. Skeptics say they’re catching plenty of red snapper, which suggests the species is healthy enough to support harvesting. Read the rest here 08:23
Leave a Reply