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CCA FLORIDA
BLASTS FEDERAL ACTION ON GROUPER REGULATIONS AS IRRESPONSIBLE AND ARROGANT
CCA FLORIDA
The Coastal Conservation Association of Florida blasted the new interim regulations imposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on recreational grouper fishermen in the Gulf. “The
feds just tossed the State of
“The major problem in Gulf red grouper management has been, and still
is, the commercial fishery which takes more than 80% of the total landings,”
said Forsgren. The federal management scheme allocates more red grouper to 25
commercial longline boats than the amount allocated to all the recreational
fishers in the entire “It is unbelievable that the feds would force recreational anglers to a one fish red grouper limit and prohibit recreational fishing for all Gulf grouper for two months while allowing commercial longline boats to take ten thousand pounds at a time,” said Forsgren. For many years CCA Florida and recreational anglers have supported conservation measures and recreational take reductions to protect and restore gag and red grouper stocks even when commercial take was not similarly reduced. A CCA Florida analysis of Gulf grouper landings before and after federal regulations indicated that the cumulative impact of 11 years of Gulf gag grouper regulations caused the annual recreational landings, after federal regulations, to be reduced by an average of 42 percent. Commercial landings were not reduced at all. In fact, after federal regulations were enacted, average annual commercial landings of gag grouper actually increased and hindered the recovery. This latest federal action was generated because of a bizarre and unprecedented increase in the “estimated” recreational catch in 2004. The validity of the 2004 estimate has been questioned. The estimate becomes more suspect when you consider that Florida’s fishing activity was impacted by a record four major hurricanes in 2004.
The Gulf red and gag grouper fisheries exist almost exclusively off of
the State of The
FWC analyzed the federal fisheries information, received testimony from NMFS,
and developed an alternative recommendation. In their The federal fisheries service simply rejected the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommendation. “The federal action is a massive blunder,” said Forsgren. “In a single decision they have totally disregarded and alienated the agencies and interests that they need in order to have a successful Gulf grouper management plan.” |
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