Two of the key fishing legislators on opposite sides of the aisle have come together to file a bill that would require commercial and recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico to use descenders when releasing reef fish back into the water.
House Res. 5126, entitled the Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices or DESCEND Act of 2019, would allow a USD 30 million (EUR 27.1 million) project in the Gulf to move forward that would keep more reef fish, such as red snapper, alive if a fishermen had to release it because of catch or weight limits, or if the fish was caught simply for sport.
The legislation is sponsored by U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) and co-sponsored by U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California). Both members serve on the House Natural Resources Committee, which is where the bill has been assigned.
Red snapper and other reef fish are typically caught at lower depths in the ocean. After they are forced up rapidly during the harvesting process, internal gas pressure could prevent them from going back down. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, the condition kills about 10 percent of the returned stock.
“Given the economic and cultural importance of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, we should be doing all we can to ensure the conservation of these fisheries,” American Sportfishing Association Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Leonard said in a statement. “Improving the survival of released fish has long been a sportfishing industry priority. We strongly support the DESCEND Act and appreciate Reps. Graves and Huffman for their continued leadership on marine conservation policy.”
Descenders are weighted devices, such as a hook or lip clamp, that will hold the fish while it’s dropped to its normal depth and recovering from the pressure. Venting tools could also be used to help the fish survive after being caught.
Such instruments are already mandatory in some West Coast fisheries and await regulatory approval in South Atlantic fisheries. However, Center for Sportfishing Policy President Jeff Angers said in a statement that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council had held off on taking regulatory action, citing concerns that it would negatively affect the barotrauma reduction initiative, which is funded by the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration program.
“The recreational fishing and boating community strongly supports the use of descending devices and venting tools as a way to return more fish alive to their deep-water reefs,” Angers said. “We encourage swift action by Congress to approve this commonsense conservation measure.”
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