A coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community applauded the House Resources subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans for its hearing on H.R. 3094, the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act.  The bill, sponsored by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) and 28 bi-partisan co-sponsors, will grant legal recognition to the plan adopted by the Fish and Wildlife agencies of all five Gulf states to assume management of the Gulf red snapper in federal waters.

“The five Gulf states demonstrated once again that they are prepared to take over management of the fishery in a more responsible way,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Coastal Conservation. “The states are already using state-of-the-art monitoring methods that will enable them to ensure the sustainability of the snapper fishery and enable every sector of the fishing community to equitably share in the harvest.  Congress should act quickly to pass this important measure that will give legal recognition to the historic cooperative agreement by the Fish and Wildlife agencies of the five Gulf states – Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — to assume management of Gulf red snapper.”

Testimony at the hearing drew a stark line between those reaping financial benefits of federal management and angling families who have found their seasons continually shortened despite the largest population of red snapper in modern times.

The management agency for every Gulf state has come to the same conclusion –  federal management of red snapper is a failure,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Fisheries Program Director Chris Horton.  “We are grateful to Rep. Graves for not only identifying the fundamental problem, but also working with the states to craft the necessary solutions.  His legislation gives hope to hundreds of thousands of people who have lost all confidence in the federal management process.”

Rep. Graves received letters of support for H.R. 3094 for all five Gulf states prior to the hearing each expressing concern over the federal government’s dramatic departure from established wildlife resource management practices.

“With the federal government now focused on private ownership programs for industrial harvesters and the charter/for-hire sector, the ability of recreational anglers to be a part of the process is being eliminated,” said Patrick Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association.  “These privatization programs have completely altered the landscape of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, where proceedings are now dominated by businesses.  We aren’t talking about eliminating the commercial fishery; we only want to ensure that if recreational anglers want to go snapper fishing with their family in their own boats, they have an opportunity to do that.”