Antoine Verdin
May 10, 2018
CALM CONDITIONS, WARM WEATHER EQUALS BIG-TIME FISH & FUN
May 10, 2018
After literally years of debate and several teat programs, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries finally got its wish.
For the next two years, they will be able to govern and control the catch of red snapper for private recreational fishing.
Last week, the LDWF announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has approved LDWF”s request for state management – which will be put in place immediately far the 2018 summer fishing season.
What this means for anglers is that they will now be given mare days to catch, the popular fish, while also being able to fish them in a broader range of waters.
By approving LDWF’S Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), the state will now be able to manage the private recreational red snapper fishery in both state and federal waters up to 200 miles offshore.
The permit also exempts Louisiana from certain federal regulations and allows the state to set those regulations in federal waters.
Exact dates for the snapper season and catching limits were finalized this week at the LDWF Commission’s annual meeting.
The season will begin on May 25 for seven days per week fishing. After about a week of open fishing. La Creel will then designate an estimated ending point for the season based on the 2018 early harvest results. The allocation for Louisiana is about 743,000 pounds of the fish per year. It is also possible that when anglers are getting close to the pinpoint number of snapper for the year that the season can shift temporarily to weekends only in the summer.
“Once the commission makes it determination, Louisiana anglers will be able to enjoy red snapper fishing under consistent regulations for both state and federal waters.” LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet said. “State management of the red snapper season has been pushed for the past several years by the department and has received strong support from Gov. John Bel Edwards, along with other state and Congressional officials.”
This is a big win for local anglers.
Snapper season has been in flux for many years in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf of Mexico-in part because of a long-standing debate about how much of the fish exists in Gulf waters.
Questions have been asked over the past decade about red snapper over fishing after studies done by several environmental groups have indicated that the fish were schooling in smaller quantities than in the past, which could have made them endangered species.
In recent years, snapper season has been heavily limited – sometimes to just a few days per year.
Last year, the season started as just three days, but was then, expanded when the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a special, rare 39-day season, which was in place throughout the summer on weekends and holidays.
But those who go out in the Gulf often never believed that the studies were an accurate depiction of how things were on the water.
Throughout the debate, anglers said they caught snapper – even when not intending to – at amounts that showed that there were abundant amounts of fish in the water.
Proponents of a longer snapper season have long said that accurate data collection and enforcement of responsible fishing practices are more important than shrinking the season altogether.
Louisiana has practiced some of that responsible fishing. The state stayed below its historical quota for healthy snapper catches last year during its 39-day season, but other states in the Gulf overfished their numbers, which led many to wonder what the 2018 season would bring.
“We’re happy about it.” said Ed Guidry, a Lockport man who fishes the Gulf with business clients in the summer. We just want consistency. To know that this is what it will be for two years is good for us. Now, we can plan and we can figure out what will happen going forward.”
Lawmakers agree.
Congressman Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said that he believes the decision by NOAA is fair and will be good for all outdoorsmen.
“This is great news for the countless number of normal, every day people across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast who have seen their fishing opportunities decline year after year through abbreviated federal red snapper seasons,” he said.
But not everyone who fishes frequently is happy about the ruling.
The LDWF was granted its EFP. but didn’t get control over the charter sector like it had hoped. NOAA has chosen to retain management authority for that sector and will set a gulf-wide charter season in the future for federal charter boats.
State charter boats will not apply to this decision by NOAA. They will be able to fish snapper in state waters during the open season dates. But federal boats will be mandated to follow the NOAA’s dates.
