The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and NOAA Fisheries Service said they will keep a close eye on the recreation red snapper fishery this year to make sure it is not adversely affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The recreational red snapper fishery opens on June 1 and the FWC and NOAA Fisheries Service are working closely together to allow as much fishing as possible while collecting and analyzing information on the number of fish harvested by charter boats in the Gulf more frequently.
NOAA Fisheries Service will provide the FWC with additional funding to increase its monitoring efforts in case it needs to adjust or extend the fishing season. With the additional federal funds, the FWC will work to be ready by June 1st to survey Gulf charter boat catches each week during the 53-day season to see if catch rates are lower than previously anticipated.
If so, state and federal fisheries managers could use that information to determine if the season can be extended or if an additional period of harvest can be allowed later in the year.
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