Snapper bill a source of contention among leaders

A battle over red snapper — once between federal authorities and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries — now rages between competing interests within the bayou state, as consideration is given to full state control of the catch, even in waters now overseen by Uncle Sam.

Recreational fishermen have been fuming over continued short seasons imposed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council amounting to nine days per year, a burden they say is unfair and not rooted in science. A solution to the standing dispute is a bill co-authored by U.S. Rep. Garrett Graves, R-Baton Rouge, which would result in a takeover of the fishery by the state.

A plan for public meetings to address the question of whether the state should take over snapper fishery management is in the works, Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Charlie Melancon said, during a discussion with The Times of the nonpartisan bill, which appears to have the full support of the other four Gulf states.

The secretary has drawn the ire of recreational fishing interests due to his refusal, thus far, to express support, a position he has vowed to maintain at least until public discussions are held.

“I asked the Commission, because there has been so much said and so much information that is out there, for a moratorium in August and September from having red snapper issues put on the agenda,” Melancon said. “What we are starting to do is try and bring all stakeholders together with the Commission and get the federal people here also, the public and the press, to sit down and listen to it all out on the table and let everyone talk. We want every voice to be heard.

“Without federal funding, Louisiana could potentially lack the proper resources to manage the red snapper fishery,” Melancon’s statement reads in part.

The Coastal Conservation Association — the region’s most powerful recreational fishing voice — has hammered Melancon’s statements and orchestrated a letter-writing campaign directed at him.

“For years, spanning many administrations, we have enjoyed a positive relationship with Wildlife and Fisheries, based on open dialogue, trust and honesty,” said George Huye, CCA Louisiana President. “Secretary Melancon told us on numerous occasions he would work closely with CCA on recreational fishing matters, yet he continues to make troubling decisions without our knowledge. It has been disappointing to say the least.”

Graves showed up at the August Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting to counter what Melancon has said. His statement during the meeting’s public comments segment resulted in sparks flying between the two.

“Your job is to maintain the tagline that Louisiana is a sportsman’s paradise,” Graves told commission members. “I want to make sure that y’all have accurate information. I took an idea that the five gulf states reached on their own. We have got a major problem regarding our resources … It (is) clear to me that there was a degree of discomfort on the part of the department with this bill.”

The commission, Graves said, has received misinformation. That prompted an interruption from Melancon, who branded Graves’ comments a “Pinocchio speech.”

“Did you just call me a liar?” Graves snapped.

“Yes sir,” Melancon retorted.

The commission does not currently have a proposal before it and is not at the moment considering a proposal of approval. The CCA has been clear in its position, that Graves has already worked with stakeholders in having the bill crafted. Shifting management away from the “failing federal system over to the far superior state management models,” the organization’s statements say, appears the best way to avoid problems encountered thus far.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission voted unanimously earlier in the year, they note, to direct department support of the bill.

“The cost of this would be prohibitive,” Melancon has said, over Graves’ objections. “We knew the kind of work required to get the data and the sampling. That fish belongs to all of the people in this country. I have asked the commission to do the moratorium to sit down in a public place where the public will be invited and the press will be invited and have an open discussion. To just say no is not going to be the answer. After all these fights and ongoing battles, it is time to put this baby to rest and find a solution for the both the recreational and commercial fishermen.”

There are in reality three sides to the story, if not more.

Commercial fishermen, whose harvests find their way onto restaurant tables and the counters offish stores, charter fishermen, who take anglers out to where the fish are for hire, and recreational fishermen whose boats can take a trip 10 miles or more from the coast to snapper habitat all have a stake.

An underlying concern, according to commercial fishing interests, is that if the state wrests full control of snapper without safeguards, the state legislature could end up declaring the catch a game fish exclusively, which is what happened with red drum.

“The whole thing is a mess right now,” said David Maginnis, vice president of Jensen Seafood in Houma, whose wholesale business includes red snapper.

“Do I think it is fair the way it is done right now? I don’t,” Maginnis said, acknowledging that recreational fishers are being elbowed out by a nine-day season. But he still urges caution. “These are the groups that would want the fish listed as a gamefish,” Maginnis said, noting the war that raged between commercial fishermen and anglers when the status of redfish was debated, resulting eventually in its reservation for game fishing only in Louisiana. “The only thing protecting us from that is keeping it under federal management.

What makes me think the state is going to manage the red snapper any better?”

The federal apparatus currently in place, he said, makes the snapper fishery one of the most closely monitored in the nation on the commercial end. He expressed doubt that the state could match such a program. At the same time, he noted, nothing other than good will and bag limits results in accountability for recreational fishermen pursuing red snapper. And he doesn’t expect to see that change if the state arbitrarily agrees to take over the fishery.

At the commission meeting Graves attended one member, Pat Sunseri, asked the congressman if a tagging system for red snapper at the recreational level could be established.

“There are all sorts of discussions we can have on ways to better manage the species,” Graves said.

That is a point on which both he and Melancon appear to agree, the difference between them being the question of when, precisely, the state might, if at all, give its nod of approval to Graves’ bill.

Red snapper ready for market at the Jensen Seafood Company in Houma. The fish is the subject of a dispute at the state and federal levels.

COURTESY