Gulf of Mexico area residents roundly oppose a proposal to reallocate red snapper away from commercial fishermen and toward the recreational sector, according to a coalition of chefs, restaurateurs, seafood businesses and fishermen.
Share the Gulf says that thousands of written comments submitted to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council indicate strong opposition — by a nearly 3-to-1 margin — to Amendment 28, which the council will consider this week. The group also said that opposing voices showed up in force during a series of public hearings this spring to urge the council to vote down Amendment 28.
“There is increasing consumer demand for fresh, locally caught seafood,” said Chef Stephen Stryjewski, Share the Gulf’s chef co-chair of New Orleans. “Gulf red snapper is a huge draw at restaurants like mine for tourists and locals alike and limiting the supply would hurt my business.”
The red snapper fishery is shared almost equally between the commercial and recreational sectors. Shane Cantrell, a charter captain from Galveston, Texas, and Share the Gulf member says the proposal will not benefit the recreational sector as many believe.
“Reallocating fish is not the answer to the problems recreational fishermen are facing,” said Cantrell. “We need a management plan that will actually increase fishing opportunities over the long term. Amendment 28 is a false promise to Gulf anglers.”
