NEWS

Move surfaces to overhaul red snapper restrictions, limits

Many anglers fear federal numbers off base

Christopher Hong
Bob McNally For The Times-Union Jacksonville attorney Shane Maddox caught this red snapper fishing a sunken ship off Mayport in 2014.

Following the recent announcement that anglers will continue to be prohibited from keeping red snapper in the Atlantic Ocean this year, a member of the regional council that oversees fishing in the Southeast's federal waters wants to overhaul how the species is regulated.

Ben Hartig, a commercial fisherman from Hobe Sound, sent a letter last week to members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council that said current regulations are based on unreliable information about the red snapper population and number of fish caught.

Hartig proposed a range of possible changes to the years-long, controversial plan in place to help increase the species' numbers that, if pursued by the council, could go into place as early as 2018.

Hartig's ideas are simply a starting point for a larger discussion - and wouldn't reverse the 2016 closure - but they could significantly change fishing regulations in federal waters from Florida to North Carolina, a vast area where virtually all red snapper, and many other fish, are caught in the Atlantic Ocean.

One idea is to create a consolidated, several-month season when anglers can harvest a number of different bottom-dwelling fish species, including red snapper, that live in the same habitats. Under current regulations, seasons for those fish, referred to as the snapper-grouper complex, vary by species and occur at different times of the year.

The options proposed by Hartig will likely be discussed at the council's annual meeting later this month. Hartig couldn't be reached for comment.

Red snapper have been heavily regulated since 2010 after a study by the federal government concluded that decades of overfishing drove the species' numbers to dangerously low levels.

Still, many fishing guides and recreational anglers have long questioned the science behind the government's findings and say they believe the species is healthy enough to sustain conservative harvesting, evidenced by banner numbers of fish caught, especially in the shipwrecks and other hard-bottom structures found off Jacksonville's coast.

Despite disagreement over the need for the regulations, biologists, fishery managers and fishermen shared optimism that the species was on the road to recovery and this year could perhaps have the first open season for red snapper since 2014.

Instead, a new study by the federal government released in April not only found that the species hasn't recovered from overfishing, but that too many fish were still being killed despite the strict regulations in place. While anglers have had just a handful of opportunities to harvest red snapper since 2010, 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.

A month after the study's release, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association delivered another tough announcement for anglers: There'd be no red snapper season in 2016.

Federal law requires fishery managers to set a limit of red snapper, and all other overfished species, that can be killed each year.

Once the year ends, the government estimates the number of fish that were killed. If the number exceeds the limit, there can be no open season the following year.

This year, the government concluded that anglers killed more than double the fish they were allowed in 2015, forcing them to close the season in 2016. It made a similar finding the year before.

The issue of fish dying after they're released, referred to as dead discards, is a sore subject for both advocates and critics of the management plan.

Management plan advocates say dead discard estimates are proof red snapper remain adversely impacted by fishing pressure, even as anglers target other species and unintentionally catch red snapper and release them.

In his letter, Hartig expressed criticism of the dead discard estimates that are held by many anglers. He says the government doesn't have reliable data to accurately estimate the number of fish recreational anglers catch and release and that the figures are grossly inflated.

Chester Brewer, another council member who in the past supported the regulations, said he agrees the estimates are inaccurate and the rules need to be changed.

Brewer, a West Palm Beach attorney, said biologists have an accurate sense of how many fish are caught and killed by commercial fishermen, who are required to report their catches.

But they know far less about recreational anglers, who aren't required to report their catches, and using uncertain assumptions to estimate the number of fish caught and killed has resulted in a "disaster," he said.

Fishing is a powerful economic driver in Florida, he said, and fish are a public resource that people should be able to responsibly harvest.

"The way they are currently managed, we wouldn't see a red snapper season in our lifetime," Brewer said. "Closing down a fishery is a drastic, drastic measure. … You want there to be a lot of fish in the water for people to catch. You also want people to take a few home. That's part of the experience."

Leda Dunmire, manager of the U.S. Oceans Southeast for the Pew Charitable Trust, a nonprofit that has advocated for rules to help red snapper recover from overfishing, said gauging the health of red snapper is more complicated than simply seeing more fish in the ocean. Instead, biologists look for not only an abundance of fish, but also an abundance of older fish that are more effective breeders. The most recent study of red snapper didn't find high numbers of the older fish.

Dunmire said she understands many are disappointed with the results of the study. But instead of continuing to debate its merit, she said the organization is more concerned about reducing the number of red snapper that are caught while anglers target other species.

"You drop a hook down in our region, you truly are fishing. You don't know what you're going to catch," Dunmire said. "Folks who go out there can't get a hook past them. That is a huge problem. They get thrown back, oftentimes the trauma kills the fish."

In his letter, Hartig said the council has three options: continue using current regulations, close large areas to fishing or adopt an alternative approach that would create a single bottom-fishing season. He said the current plan isn't working, and mass closures would be widely unpopular and extremely difficult to enforce.

The third option, he wrote, could offer enough protection to red snapper while allowing anglers an opportunity to harvest them.

While the idea is still in its infancy, Hartig proposes to:

¦ Establish a single season for a large group of bottom-dwelling fish. His letter floats two possible season dates lasting from May to August or May to October.

¦ Require recreational anglers to get a special stamp to target bottom-dwelling fish. To get the stamp, anglers would have to watch an educational video on safely releasing fish to increase their chances for survival. Some would also have to report their catches, which would improve the data for future studies.

¦ Force anglers to use a special device that quickly returns released fish to deep water and increases their chance for survival.

¦ Limit the number of charter boats that can harvest red snapper through a permit system.

Dunmire said her organization is still evaluating the options in Hartig's letter but is encouraged to see the council discussing them. "It's certainly encouraging to see the council digging deep and looking for solutions," she said.

Brewer said the idea of creating a single bottom-fishing season would be an effective management approach and a way to create a meaningful season for red snapper. But he says the flip side of that option - the part of the year where no bottom fish can be kept - might be a tough pill for anglers to swallow. Not as tough, however, as some of the other options.

"We'll have seasons, and we won't have to close off big parts of the ocean," Brewer said.

Christopher Hong: (904) 359-4272