Tag Archives: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Family-owned fishing company challenges unconstitutional Fishery Management Council
James and Dominick Russo are fishermen who earn their living off the Florida coast. But their livelihood is in jeopardy. James and Dominick have worked in the commercial fishing industry most of their lives. James, the older brother, has more than 30 years of experience under his belt. During the pandemic, the brothers moved to Sarasota, Florida, and opened FFC Seafood to make the most of the business-friendly climate the state offered. While the brothers catch many different types of fish, theirFFC Seafood most profitable haul is gag grouper, a fish popular with high-end restaurants for its sweet flavor. However, just when their new fishing enterprise was thriving, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed Amendment 56, slashing the number of gag grouper that commercial fisherman can legally catch by over 80 percent. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
This Florida fisherman worries about the industry’s future
Commercial fishing is vital to Florida’s culture and identity. Today, Florida fishermen like me land $209 million worth of fish and shellfish in dock-side value alone. The economic impact of the commercial fishing industry ripples up the supply chain generating $8.7 billion. Hundreds of millions of tourists travel to Florida to enjoy fresh seafood in the Sunshine State. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) “Status of the Stocks” report that was recently released would have you believe that everything is rosy. But let me tell you what’s really happening – what you don’t see in that federal report – from the perspective and experience of someone who makes a living on the water in the Gulf of Mexico. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
Fishermen File Lawsuit Against Biden Administration, Claiming Regulations are Threatening Their Business
Two fishermen have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, claiming that Congress and unelected councils are unconstitutionally regulating and overseeing fisheries. Commercial fishermen George Arnesen of Louisiana and Ryan Bradley of Mississippi argue that the regulatory authority has been placed in the hands of an “unconstitutional regime” that is detrimental to local fishermen. They claim that these regulations make them “vulnerable to capture by narrow private interests.”The lawsuit specifically cites the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as the primary law governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters. The plaintiffs argue that Congress has converted federal waters into “Constitution-free zones,” in violation of the Constitution. >click to read< 09:52
Commercial fishermen sounding alarm about snapper stocks
If you had asked me five years ago if I was worried about red snapper populations in Texas, I would have said “no.” But I’m not that optimistic today. Fishery managers have gotten complacent, forgotten where we came from and have put self-interests above conservation and sustainability. Our fish stocks are in decline, our commercial fishing voices are being squashed and our fishery managers are playing politics with our livelihoods. We expect fair representation at the decision-making table. What do we have instead? Only one truly commercial fishing representative on the 17-member Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. >click to read< 10:52
One fish, two fish: The local commercial fishing industry faces daunting challenges despite high demand
It’s just after noon on an unseasonably warm Friday in early spring. Naples has had a string of cold days and now this hot one, but no one standing in line in front of Mike’s Bait House in East Naples seems to mind. The line extends from the street, where cars are parked nose-to-bumper. It snakes through the parking lot and winds beside a black extended-cab Chevy. In the back of the truck, two young men from Dilly’s Fish Co, owned by Tim “Dilly” Dillingham, lean over Grizzly coolers. “What’s the difference between a lane snapper and a red snapper?” a man in line calls out. “A red snapper’s going to be a little more firm,” one of the young men in the back of the truck answers. That’s Dominick Biagetti, Dillingham’s right-hand man. Biagetti serves as boat captain and crew, and he helps with offloading and delivery. He has a seascape tattooed on his leg, an underwater reef scene with a turtle and a moray eel. >click to read< 12:10
Fisheries management isn’t supposed to be robbing Peter to pay Paul
MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Changes to Commercial and Recreational Allocations of Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass,,, For all three species, these changes result in a shift in allocation from the commercial to the recreational sector. At the same time, using the same “scientific” rationale to disguise what seems nothing more than a blatantly political decision, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management has recommended that the red grouper fishery also be reallocated,,, If NOAA/NMFS is allowed to continue using the new MRIP Fishing Effort Survey, every mixed use fishery from Maine through Texas should expect attempts at quota allocation shifts from the commercial to the recreational sector. >click to read< By Nils Stolpe/FishnetUSA 13:52
Plan would protect 21 coral hot spots in Gulf of Mexico
The plan would create 21 protected areas off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Thirteen of the areas would carry new commercial fishing restrictions, and that has attracted the attention of fishing groups, who want the government to take a cautious approach. Pew Charitable Trusts has characterized the plan as a way to protect nearly 500 square miles of slow-growing coral “hot spots,” and is championing the protection plan as a way to spare vulnerable corals from fishing gear. >click to read< 10:30
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Galveston, TX, October 21 – 24, 2019
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting October 21 – 24, 2019, at The Tremont House, 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row, Galveston, TX. >click to review Agenda, and supporting documents< Listen to the meeting online, >click to listen< 19:48
Late Post. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in New Orleans, August 12 – 15, 2019
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in New Orleans, August 12 – 15, 2019, at Hyatt Centric French Quarter, 800 Iberville Street
New Orleans, LA 70112. >click to read the Agenda and Meeting Materials<, >click to listen live< Our apologies! 16:13
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting June 3 – 6, 2019, in Miramar Beach, FL.
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting June 3 – 6, 2019, in Miramar Beach, FL. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Bayside Ballroom
9300 Emerald Coast Parkway W. Miramar Beach, FL 32550, 850-267-8000. >click to review Agenda, and supporting documents.< Listen online, >click to listen< This webinar meets 4 times.15:14
Gulf Council Votes to Relax Quotas on Shrimp Fishing
Today, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took final action on shrimp Amendment 18, allowing shrimpers to increase the amount of fishing allowed under the red snapper rebuilding plan. The Southern Shrimp Alliance advocated for this change for more than two years. The Council was unanimous in its decision. Once again, the Alliance won its arguments before regulators by presenting scientific research. The Council’s actions acknowledge that the shrimp fishery has made a substantial contribution to the rebuilding of the red snapper stock. Since the plan went into effect, shrimpers have achieved 100% compliance with the red snapper management plan’s goals. >click to read<17:28
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Mobile, AL October 22 – 25, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet October 22 – 25, 2018 in Mobile, AL at the Renaissance Battle House, 26 N. Royal Street, Mobile, AL 36602. The Committee and Council Agendas and meeting materials are posted on the Council website at >www.gulfcouncil.org<. Meeting materials will be posted as they become available. Council meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live over the internet. > Register for the webinar<. 12:48
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Corpus Christi, TX. August 20-23, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet August 20-23, 2018 at the Omni Corpus Christi hotel located at 900 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401. Public testimony is scheduled on Wednesday, August 22, from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM. The Committee and Council Agendas are available on the Council website at www.gulfcouncil.org. Meeting materials will be posted as they become available. Council meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live over the internet. Register for the webinar >click here< 19:49
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in New Orleans January 29 – February 1, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet January 29 – February 1, 2018, at the Hyatt Center, 800 Iberville Street, New Orleans, LA 70112 . View Council Agenda View Briefing Materials, >click here< Register for April Council Webinar, >click here< 15:05
Alabama Red Snapper Reporting System – Snapper checks show fear of exceeding quota unfounded
Preliminary numbers from the Alabama Red Snapper Reporting System, aka Snapper Check, indicate the fear that Alabama anglers would exceed the 2017 quota were unfounded. “Using the Alabama Snapper Check numbers, we’re going to be well within the historic allocation for Alabama, so the 39-day season did not put us over, which was a concern for the commercial fishing community and part of the charter fishing community,” said Scott Bannon, Acting Director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD). “Now the concern we have is what the MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program) numbers will show, and those numbers are not out yet.” click here to read the story 09:11
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in San Antonio, Tx. August 7 – 10, 2017
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet at the Marriott Plaza, San Antonio, located at 555 S. Alamo St. San Antonio, Texas. The meeting will convene on the following days and local times: Council Committees meet 10:30 – 5:00 on Monday. Council Committees meet 8:30 – 5:00 on Tuesday. Council Committees meet 8:30 – 10:30 on Wednesday. Full Council meets 10:45 – 5:30 on Wednesday. Full Council meets 8:30 – 3:45 on Thursday Read the Committee and Council Agenda, Click here Register to listen live click here www.gulfcouncil.org 13:59
Conflicts of Interest Plague Fishery Councils
In a tremendous display of arrogance, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council member David Walker of Alabama went on a rant at the June meeting of the Gulf Council in which he proclaimed that millionaire shareholders like himself are the only ones who contribute anything to the red snapper fishery. He was referring to the paltry 3 percent administrative fee that shareholders are required to pay to cover the expense of the catch share program that has made him rich. The fact that NOAA Fisheries acknowledges the fee doesn’t even cover the cost of the program (the shortfall is picked up by taxpayers like you and me) did not deter Walker from his outlandish claims. He went on to challenge recreational anglers to show what they contribute.,, The end result of efforts by groups like the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to privatize public marine resources was on full display at this meeting. They may not have intended it, but EDF and their allies have created an entire class of spoiled, entitled bullies, ready to intimidate anyone who threatens their domain, from Council members to Congressmen. Click here to read the story 14:35
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Naples, FL June 5 – 8, 2017
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet June 5 – 8, 2017 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort 475 Seagate Drive Naples, FL 34103. The meeting will convene on the following days and local times: View Council Agenda View Briefing Materials, click here Register for April Council Webinar, click here 12:32
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting April 3-6, 2017 in Burmingham
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet April 3-6, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Winfrey Hotel, located at 1000 Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham, Alabama 35244. The meeting will convene on the following days and local times: View Council Agenda View Briefing Materials Register for April Council Webinar 19:31
HOOKED UP! PART II: Gulf Council chief talks about IFQ’s
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council manages the fishery resources in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s one of eight regional fishery management councils in the United States. The Gulf Council essentially manages the fishery from the nine-mile mark out to the 200-mile limit. “Before the IFQ, we tried a variety of ways to address the race for fish that was taking place,” says Dr. Roy Crabtree, regional administrator for the Gulf Council. “We had a limited commercial quota for red snapper. The fishermen were catching it up as quick as they could. They were flooding the market with fish Fishery was closed most of the year, so we didn’t have year-round production. And we had safety-at-sea issues. Because fishermen were fishing in unsafe sea conditions. And we were having overruns of quota. Crabtree says the IFQ program was designed largely to address these problems. The article continues here 18:00
COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Several private anglers and the Coastal Conservation Association, a group representing private anglers (collectively, CCA), appeal the district court’s summary judgment dismissal of their lawsuit, which challenged Amendment 40 to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan and the Final Rule implementing that amendment. Because we find that Amendment 40 is consistent with its organic statute and was properly devised and implemented, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court. This dispute centers on the management of the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Read the complaint here 09:28
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Biloxi, MS, October 17 – 21, 2016
Gulf council seeks input from fishermen for coral reef protections
Fishermen will be able to provide input for coral protection areas in the at a workshop Monday hosted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 142 Library Drive, Houma. The council’s scientists recommended protecting 47 areas in the Gulf, but with the help of the Coral Advisory Panel and Shrimp Advisory Panel, the number has been narrowed to 15 priority areas. The meeting is to get feedback from fishermen who use bottom-contacting gear in federal waters in the Gulf before the council begins its public scoping process. Another meeting is to be held in Alabama. “Most of the areas, no one fishes in, but there is one area off the boot of Louisiana and several off Texas and Florida where there is some fishing activity. They want to get feedback from fishermen to see how much impact it would have to fisheries,” said Julie Falgout, seafood industry liaison with Louisiana SeaGrant. Read the rest here 11:08
Charlie Melancon’s Department Of Wrongdoing And Falsehood
Have you been paying attention to the chaos at hand with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries? It appears that there is a full three-ring circus going on with DWF and its secretary, the former Democrat congressman Charlie Melancon. And after eight months on the job it’s pretty clear that perception among the in-the-know crowd was largely correct. The department is awash in controversy, if not criminality, and those affected by it are furious. To full explain this, we should go back several years to a program set up at the federal level. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which is a federal commission set up to govern offshore fishing in the five Gulf states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas), and the National Marine Fisheries Service set up something called the Individual Fishing Quota system, or IFQ, to govern commercial fishing for red snapper. Meaning, the federal government resorted to crony capitalism as a means to govern Gulf red snapper fisheries. If you were a big player in the red snapper harvest before the program got started, you were one of the cronies and your incumbency would be protected. Read the story here. 19:20
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council August Meeting Review
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met in New Orleans, Louisiana, August 15 – 18, 2016. The Council welcomed its newest member Dr. Thomas Frazer, Director of the School of Natural Resources and Environment for the University of Florida. In addition, Douglas Boyd (TX) and Leann Bosarge (MS) were each sworn in for an additional 3-year term. The Council elected Leann Bosarge as Council Chair and Johnny Greene as Council Vice Chair for the upcoming year. Issues in this update include – Data Collection – Coral and Habitat Protection – Modifications to the Commercial Individual Fishing Quota Programs – Gray Triggerfish – Federal Reef Fish Headboat Survey Vessel Management – Red Snapper Management for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels – Mackerel – Council Wrap-Up Webinar – The Council will host a webinar to review the Council meeting. Please join us at 6 p.m. ESTWednesday, August 24 for a quick presentation followed by a question and answer session. Register for the webinar here: To read the details, Click here 15:52
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting August 15 – 18, 2016, New Orleans, LA
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet August 15 – 18, 2016, at the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel in New Orleans, LA. Committee meetings will convene Monday at 8:30 am and conclude at 11:00 am Wednesday. The full Council will convene Wednesday morning beginning at 11:15 am. The Council is expected to adjourn by 4:15 pm Thursday. Committees & Council Agenda Click here . Public comment is scheduled Wednesday from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Testimony will be taken on the following: • Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Draft Environmental Impact Statement • Open testimony on any other fishery issues or concerns Council meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live over the internet. Register for the webinar Click here 20:48
Opinion: Red Snapper recreational fishermen— Allow Reallocation Among Fishermen, want shift to state management
Many Gulf Coast anglers have been asking themselves what the world is coming to lately, when they can fish federal waters for red snapper for only a few days this year while commercial boats can take sport fishermen out anytime to catch snapper for the boat to sell. I sure wondered how that could be when, in April, I first heard about Texas captain Scott Hickman’s trips,” which — quite legally — allow him to take sport fishermen along to fill his fish boxes per the commercial catch shares he owns. He accepts no payment from these anglers, just as by law he can accept no tips. The anglers cannot legally keep any fish nor buy fish from Hickman. But they can buy fish caught that day from the fish house back at the dock — for a premium price (at least a few bucks more per pound than the usual market price). At first, this scheme seemed outrageous to me, as it apparently did to many in the recreational-fishing community. Then I started trying to put my finger on why it pissed me off, and mostly I came up with reasons why it shouldn’t, especially when considered within the context of our bizarro snapper-management regime. Read the rest here 10:30
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Austin, TX. April 4 – 7, 2016 Listen Live
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet in Austin at the Doubletree by Hilton Austin April 4 – 7, 2016. Read the Committee and Council Agenda, Click here Read the briefing material, Click here, Register here to listen live http://gulfcouncil.org/index.php 16:12
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting January 25 – 28, 2016 in Orange Beach, Alabama
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet January 25 – 28, 2016, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. Committee meetings will convene Monday at 8:30 am, concluding at 10:30 am Wednesday. The full Council will convene Wednesday morning beginning at 10:45 am. The Council is expected to adjourn by 4:00 pm Thursday. Council meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live over the internet. To register for the webinar, click here Read the agenda here 12:57
RECREATIONAL DATA TAKEN HOSTAGE BY GULF SNAPPER ANGLERS
If you pay any attention to fishery management issues (and if you’re reading this blog, it’s pretty clear that you do), you know that one of the most contentious issues, which comes up year after year, is the estimate of recreational landings. Commercial landings are pretty easy to measure, because commercial fishermen, as well as the processors and packing houses that purchase their products, are generally required to report such landings on a timely basis. To be sure, there are holes in the process. But when it comes to recreational landings, it’s not that easy. There are thousands of commercial fishermen on the coast; there are millions of anglers. Read the post here 14:10
