“It is important to remember that sector separation is not about taking anything away from the true recreational fishermen,” said Captain Dale Woodruff of Class Act Charters in Orange Beach Alabama. Photo: Class Act Charters
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Just when the Gulf waters looked like they were starting to calm, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) has stirred them once again by announcing a series of public hearings to address Amendment 40, better known as Gulf Red Snapper recreational sector separation.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has stirred them once again by announcing a series of public hearings to address Amendment 40, better known as Gulf Red Snapper recreational sector separation. Photo: Gulf Council
“The Council is considering separating the recreational sector into two different components: a federal for-hire component and a private angling component,” said Charlene Ponce, a spokesperson for the Gulf Council. “We’ve scheduled public hearings around the Gulf to get public input on the issue, and that input will be presented to the Council during its August meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi.”
For more than a year, the Gulf Council wrestled with Amendment 28, the reallocation of Gulf Red Snapper. During its last meeting in Key West, it decided to postpone any vote on reallocation until the issue of sector separation was voted upon.
Recreational Sector Separation
The Gulf recreational sector currently includes a private vessel component and a for-hire component. The for-hire component includes charter boats and head boats. Current recreational management measures such as season length, daily bag limits, and size limits are typically applied to the recreational sector as a whole, without making a distinction between the private and for-hire components.
Presented with a draft of Amendment 40 during its last meeting, the Council chose the following alternatives:
- Action 1 – Establishment of Private Angling and Federal For-hire Components – Preferred Alternative 2:
- Establish a red snapper federal for-hire component. The federal for-hire component would include all for-hire operators with a valid or renewable federal reef fish for-hire permit.
- Establish a private angling component that would include all other for-hire operators and private recreational anglers.
- Action 2 – Allocation of Recreational Red Snapper Quota between Components of the Recreational Sector – Preferred Alternative 4:
- Allocate the recreational red snapper quota based on average landings between 1996 and 2012. Resulting federal for-hire and private angling allocations would be 47.1% and 52.9%, respectively.
- Action 3 – Recreational Season Closure Provision – Preferred Alternative 2:
- Establish separate red snapper season closure provisions for the federal for-hire and private angling components.
- Each season would close when its projected quota is caught.
According to the Council, the establishment of separate private and for-hire sectors would provide a basis for increased flexibility in future management of the recreational sector, and reduce the chance for recreational quota overruns which could jeopardize the rebuilding of the red snapper stock.
The Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation (CSF), a D.C. based lobbying organization initially started to provide advice, support and information for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, issued a call to action to its members to attend the meetings and speak out against sector separation.
In a recent press release, CSF stated that Amendment 40 would divide the recreational angler’s 49% share of the snapper fishery roughly in half between private recreational anglers and charter-for-hire and head boat owners, even though many charter boat owners don’t support dividing the recreational catch. It said, “the council is currently moving ahead on a proposed amendment that will pit segments of the recreational fishing community against each other without addressing the fundamental problems with recreational red snapper management.”
Amendment 40 in Positive Light
Charter-for-hire captains in the Gulf may see Amendment 40 in a different, more positive light. In fact, some see the creation of a separate charter-for-hire component, and an accompanying electronic monitoring program, as a necessary ingredient for staying in business.
According to Captain Shane Cantrell of Galveston SeaVentures in Texas, for years the federally permitted charter boats have been at the mercy of the Gulf Council and federal regulations. Photo: Galveston SeaVentures
“It is important to remember that sector separation is not about taking anything away from the true recreational fishermen,” said Captain Dale Woodruff of Class Act Fishing in Orange Beach Alabama. “This is an important factor often overlooked. The charter-for-hire sector would harvest an allocation set by the National Marine Fisheries Service based upon historical catch figures. This would allow the true recreational fishery to band together and establish a program to manage their system.”
According to Captain Shane Cantrell of Galveston SeaVentures in Texas, for years the federally permitted charter boats have been at the mercy of the Gulf Council and federal regulations. “Amendment 40 would allow each segment of the fishery to develop a management system that will address their respective needs while still meeting rebuilding timelines and conservation goals of the stock,” he said.
The Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI), which recently held meetings with charter-for-hire captains across the Gulf, said a majority fully supports electronic monitoring, is open to alternative management programs and is currently weighing the implications of sector separation.
“It is crucial that both private anglers and professional charter-for-hire fishermen have access to the fishery. I’m confident that the Gulf Council, having input from all facets of the Gulf fishing community, will be well equipped to develop management solutions that work for us all,” explained Margaret Henderson, GSI’s executive director. “During meetings GSI held across the Gulf over the past several months, a majority of the charter-for-hire community expressed interest in becoming more accountable through electronic monitoring. This is a huge step towards a year-round season for the charter-for hire sector and their customers.”
Captains Steve Tomeny, of Steve Tomeny Charters in Golden Meadow, LA, and Captain Mike Colby, of Double Hook Charters in Clearwater Beach, FL, along with Michael Kelly, Vice President of Sustainable Marine Resources for Maryland based CLS America – a new GSI Founding Member -will join Henderson and Cantrell in D.C. next week. The group will be meeting with executive branch agencies and Congressional staff members, as well as available for media interviews, on important Gulf charter-for-hire issues that includes an electronic monitoring program.
Gulf Council public hearing begin at 6:00 p.m. local time and end no later than 9:00 p.m.
For online comment forms, video presentations, and documents, visit www.gulfcouncil.org and click on the thermometer icon at the center of the homepage.
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August 4, 2014 |
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What would happen if the EDF dint give the Gulf seafood Institute money?? 1) It would never have been formed 2) We wouldnt have to listen to the same lies being propogated by the same -FEW greedy Captains 3)The Gulf Council could actually have time to work on fisheries management for the good of all fishermen 4) Possibly we could start weeding out all the co-conspirators from NOAA, MNFS and the GC so we could actually start worrying about the fish and open access fisheries , instead of schemes to privatize our natural resource–fish!!!
From your Article: The Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI), which recently held meetings with charter-for-hire captains across the Gulf, said a majority fully supports electronic monitoring, is open to alternative management programs and is currently weighing the implications of sector separation. QUESTION: Electronic Monitoring? What equipment (if any) is required, who pays for this required equipment, and more importantly what is the cost if I am required to purchase this equipment?
Dear Captain Adams and Captain Mitchell, Thank you for your feedback. The electronic monitoring program envisioned by the Gulf Seafood Institute and charterboat captains across the Gulf would be 100% voluntary. No one in the Gulf can disagree that more timely, accurate and verifiable data on our stocks is needed. If charterboat captains are willing and able to install VMS-type systems on their vessels in order to contribute real-time data to the process, we support that effort 100%. The Senate FY 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill includes $2 million in funding to support just such an electronic monitoring program for charterboats in the Gulf. It is our hope that federal subsidies, and generous matching grants from non-federal entities, will help cover the equipment and installation costs for captains participating in the voluntary data collection program. If you would like to discuss further, please contact me at any time – I’d appreciate your feedback. 305-322-9811. Sincerely, Margaret Henderson, Executive Director.
Margaret—Your article is 99% about sector separation which has nothing to do with electronic logbooks and should not even be dis cussed in the same article . Sector separation is not needed or wanted for better data collection. Better data collection has been asked for by all charter for hire, for years and years; but yet you people keep tying it in to sector separation . That is the scam