![]() ![]() “We went from 15.1 million pounds to 15.4 million pounds, and that’s for all sectors – private recreational, for-hire (charters) and commercial,” Bannon said. Limited by the ABC, the Gulf Council voted last week to set the annual catch limit at 15.4 million pounds. ![]() However, in a decision Bannon questioned, the SSC set the acceptable biological catch (ABC) at 15.4 million pounds, a slight increase from last season’s 15.1 million pounds. The SSC voted to increase the red snapper overfishing limit by 10.1 million pounds to 25.6 million pounds. Generally, they accept the recommendations from the Gulf Council.”īefore last week’s meeting, the Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) met to consider integrating the results of the Great Red Snapper Count, which indicated the red snapper abundance in the Gulf is three times higher than previous estimates, into the committee’s recommendations. They can choose to take a different path. NMFS does not have to go along with that. “This recommendation is for the 20 seasons. “The Gulf Council voted for a motion that was put forth from Alabama that we continue fishing at the rates similar to what we have for the last four years and to not implement calibration at this time,” Bannon said. NMFS had proposed that the catch data from the Marine Recreation Information Program (MRIP) survey and state reporting systems be “calibrated,” which would have essentially cut Alabama’s quota in half. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has not yet provided the exact 2021 Alabama private angler quota, but it is anticipated to be similar to the 2020 quota of 1,122,662 pounds.Ī drastic reduction in the red snapper quota for Alabama and Mississippi was avoided during last week’s meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) with a vote, spearheaded by the Alabama delegation, to delay “calibration” until 2023. Once we anticipate the quota will be met, we will announce a closure.” We will provide a graph on our red snapper summary page at for anglers to see how the effort is progressing. “There are so many factors that impact the fishing effort, and that makes it difficult to determine a closure date. “What we’re doing different this year is we’re going to track the private recreational catch through Snapper Check, and when the quota is about to be met, we’ll project a closing date,” said Scott Bannon, Director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD). The end of the season will be determined by catch data compiled through the Red Snapper Reporting System, better known as Snapper Check. The season opens on May 28 with four-day weekends like last year’s season, but the closing date has not been set. This year the weather was terrible, so we took away that holiday weekend because we don’t people fishing during bad weather.The Official Website of the City of Orange Beach, Alabamaīy DAVID RAINER | Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesĪlabama’s 2021 red snapper season for private recreational anglers will be different than in previous years. “If you look at 20 on the graph, the line just shoots up. “We have seen about a 40% reduction in fishing trips, so people are not going as much as they used to,” said Bannon. He said effort is down as a whole in 2022. According to those numbers, anglers have harvested just 32% of the quota.īannon gave a number of reasons for the low number of pounds citing heightened gas prices, bad weather and the starting of the school year along the Gulf Coast. The quota that needs to be reached before closing of the season is 1,122,662 pounds. “If you look at the graphic, it almost looks like we are closed once school starts.”Īccording to the Red Snapper summary accessible on Outdoor Alabama, anglers have reeled in 364,758 pounds of red snapper since the season began the week following Memorial weekend. “I fully anticipate we will be open until December just because we don’t get that much effort in the fall,” said Bannon. Veterans row 3,000 miles across Atlantic Ocean
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