Charter company that helped extend Atlantic red snapper season says fight not over yet
A Volusia County charter fishing company that helped lead the charge in extending the Atlantic red snapper season said the fight is far from over. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a ruling that allows for a one-day extension and removes the consideration to close all bottom fishing for three months.
Haley Stephens, owner of Sea Spirit Fishing Charter in Ponce Inlet, has been meeting with government agencies about this issue for the last year.
'What we're seeing on the water is just a record abundance of these fish, so to hear that it's being overfished raises the question of what in the world is going on,' said Stephens.
People who were on the Sea Spirit said they caught tons of snapper during their trips and were disappointed those fish had to be thrown back in the water.
'We all caught a lot of big red snapper today. Now we have to go to Walmart and buy them from China or wherever they're imported from and they're much smaller,' said Daniel Perret.
Stephens said NOAA's ruling has led to important changes in the industry. Agencies are now looking at more accurate ways collect data on the population. The results could change management measures in the future and increase fishing opportunities in the Southeast.
'The big celebration should come from the fact that they are no longer overfished, and that was the first crucial step that we needed to take to ensure success in the future,' said Stephens 'At the end of the day, if there was an actual problem, we would be all for it. No one cares more about the health and stock and conservation efforts of our fish than people who earn their livelihood on the water.'
The South Atlantic Snapper season is July 11 and 12 this year. The bag limit will still be one fish per person per day.
The Florida Gulf Coast season is much longer at 126 days. It started Memorial Day weekend and ends July 31. The season then reopens for weekend fishing on Sept. 1-Nov. 30. There will also be special fishing days allowed on Labor Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day.
You can read the full ruling from NOAA at this link.
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