Florida, earlier this week, became the latest state to receive NOAA Fisheries certification for a new survey design for estimating the number of red snapper recreational fishermen catch in the state’s Gulf region.
Over the last year, NOAA Fisheries has certified survey designs in Mississippi and Alabama for red snapper and in Louisiana for an all-species survey. The surveys are unique because each state has its own characteristics and uses different methodologies to gather data.
“Red snapper are an important resource relied on by countless communities and businesses in the Gulf of Mexico," Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said. “This updated survey design, and others like it, will help the Department of Commerce and NOAA ensure that we will continue to enjoy this resource far into the future.”
Getting NOAA Fisheries certification means Florida’s survey now can receive federal funding, if available, to help in implementing and making further design improvements. Estimates from the states can be used as part of federal stock assessment efforts once the states finalize a transition plan to integrate data and account for differences between current and historical catch totals.
NOAA’s acting undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, Navy Rear Adm. (ret.) Timothy Gallaudet, said the work ongoing in the states is important to preserve fishing opportunities for future generations.
“The certification of Florida’s new supplemental survey design, and similar efforts in other Gulf states, demonstrates NOAA’s commitment to collaborating with state and regional partners to advance recreational fishing data collection,” Gallaudet said.
This year, Florida and the other four Gulf states began a two-year management pilot of the recreational red snapper fishery in federal waters. The projects came after state officials and anglers complained about limited availability for fishing opportunities. Florida officials set a 40-day season and reported more than two million pounds in landings. That exceeded the catch limit by 13 percent.
Kate Brogan, a NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman, told SeafoodSource the survey certification is not tied to the 2018 overage.
“The collaborative development of the Gulf Reef Fish Survey has been underway since 2013,” she said. “An iterative process of peer reviews, pilot testing, and modification has culminated in NOAA Fisheries certifying the GRFS design as statistically valid.”
Earlier this month, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gave agency officials the go-ahead to proceed with a 32-day schedule for next year. The reduced schedule is a result of needing to account for the overage from this year’s landings.
The commission will decide in February whether to give final approval for the shorter season, which would run from 11 June to 12 July.
