Tag Archives: gray triggerfish

Controversy brewing over snapper-grouper Exempted Fishing Permit

A storm is brewing in the South Atlantic region, a storm of controversy over snapper-grouper fisheries access and allocation. A group of four commercial fishing businesses – the South Atlantic Commercial Fishing Collaborative – filed an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application with the National Marine Fisheries Service on Feb. 6. If approved by NMFS, the EFP would allow a group of 25 snapper-grouper boats operated by the four businesses to harvest blueline tilefish, gag grouper, gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, vermilion snapper and species in the jacks complex for two years (2018-19) in a pilot program while being exempt from numerous fishing regulations. The generic name for such a fisheries management method is catch shares, which, according to NOAA Fisheries, is a program in which “a portion of the catch for a species is allocated to individual fishermen or groups. Each holder of a catch share must stop fishing when his/her specific share of the quota is reached.” But it is a concept the huge majority of saltwater fishermen – recreational fishermen and small commercial fishing operations – have proven to be vehemently opposed to. continue reading the story here 08:12

Gulf of Mexico Commercial harvest of gray triggerfish will reopen in state and federal waters Aug. 1

When the gray triggerfish season reopens, new bag and trip limits will also be in effect in Gulf state and federal waters. The recreational bag limit will be two fish per person, per day, and the commercial limit will be 12 fish per trip. continued@abc3

Changes to FL Gulf gray triggerfish season in effect June 10

Changes to how Gulf of Mexico gray triggerfish are managed in state and federal waters will go into effect June 10. These changes include a recreational and commercial season closure and the implementation of recreational and commercial bag limits. continued

Amberjack, triggerfish seasons set to close

On May 9, NOAA Fisheries  NMFS approved Amendment 37 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. According to NOAA Fisheries  NMFS  gray triggerfish are overfished (population abundance is too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high). This rule adjusts the commercial and recreational annual catch limits and annual catch targets, establishes a 12-fish commercial trip limit and a two-fish recreational daily bag limit. continued