Gag grouper will be off-limits to recreational fishermen for the first 6 months of 2011 and commercial fishermen will see a major cut in the gag grouper quot over the same time period.
NOAA’s Fisheries Service has approved a temporary rule that will prohibit recreational fishing for gag grouper in Gulf of Mexico federal waters beginning January 1st, 2011.
The closure can be extended an additional six months if necessary.
This rule will also reduce the commercial quota from 1.49 million pounds to 100,000 pounds.
The lower quota is expected to discourage commercial vessels from targeting gag grouper or from fishing in areas with a high accidental catch of gag grouper.
NOAA hopes that by allowing a 100 thousand pound quota that commercial fisherman will keep any gag grouper they catch accidentally instead of discarding the fish at sea.
The temporary rule is designed to protect gag grouper from continued overfishing while the Fisheries Service completes work on a long-term solution.
Commercial Fishermen will also see a cut in the number of red grouper thay can keep beginning January 1st.
Through a separate long-term rule, the fisheries service has also agreed to reduce the red grouper total allowable catch from 7.5 million pounds to 5.7 million pounds.
That rule was also approved after a recent scientific assessment indicated the red grouper population has declined since 2005.
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
No comments:
Post a Comment