Bad News About Red Snapper?

Alabama Mobile Could tougher restrictions be on the way?

by Steve Alexander

Published: Mon, November 02, 2009 - 10:13 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, November 02, 2009 - 10:53 pm CST

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama - Some Gulf Coast fishing businesses may start to sink.
They blame it on red snapper restrictions.
Regulators are thinking about allowing only one fish per day or even a thirty day red snapper season.
And the changes could affect the price you pay for snapper.
Donnie Matsler is a deckhand on the charter boat, "The Wright One."
As for a possible change cutting the snapper season to one month, or a catch limit of one snapper per person per day, Matsler said, "This is really going to kill our boating season."
He said charter captains are already facing problems.
Matsler said, "It costs us to just keep all these boats out here per boat, per month and, then, not only that, the upkeep of them, but the maintenance."
And, he said, there are rising fuel prices and fewer people chartering boats.
Matsler said, "They just don't come down here now."
And fishermen said there's a trickle down effect.
Jeremy Folse is a deckhand and a diver, cleaning the bottom of boats so they don't burn as much fuel.
Folse said, "If our fishing industry gets cut, that cuts that business out, too. Therefore, my income goes from where I was able to make a living to having to find something else to do, some other job."
And fishermen said fewer snapper mean even higher prices than what you're paying at restaurants now.
Matsler said, "You're looking at like $8.00, $10.00 a pound."
And, the irony of the whole issue, according to Matsler, is, "We're getting so many snapper out here right now, we can't catch the other recreational fish for the snapper taking the bait. There are that many snappers."
If there are that many snapper, why a one month season or a one fish limit?
Regulators say recreational fishermen are exceeding this year's quota by one to two million pounds.
And, the way the law is written, the extra fish caught in 2009 mean the limit in 2010 will have to be that much stricter.

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cmb1 Says:

Tue, Nov 03, 2009 at 3:14 pm

There are so many snapper in the gulf this is absolutly rediculous! Net fisherman you needed stopping…

islander32 Says:

Tue, Nov 03, 2009 at 1:13 pm

And don’t buy into the lie, Recreational fishing does not affect the price you pay for fish nor does the charter business. If they are selling you the fish they are breaking the law!!

islander32 Says:

Tue, Nov 03, 2009 at 1:05 pm

This is great I hope all the charter boats go belly up. They have been complaining about net fishers for years and have wanted commercial fishing to be stoped so they can have the gulf. This could not be a better bill. And also I hope they band hook and line fishing. All these sports wanted tight regulations when they meesed with the netters. Now it is time to get what they deserve. If we have to stop fishing you need to have to stop fishing!!!!!As far as all the crying about how hard they have try raising a family on an income that is low and have the state tell you that you can’t do it because some dolphin hugger in the cca says it’s bad for the enviroment.