February 18, 2015 — Two respected Gulf Congressmen have taken the lead on a letter addressed to the Secretary of Commerce ensuring NOAA acts swiftly on the distribution of Gulf recreational electronic data collection funding passed last year.
The U.S. Congress, the Gulf of Mexico Regional Fisheries Management Council, Gulf commercial fishermen and federally permitted Gulf recreational charter-for-hire captains know the importance of accurate and real time data collection based on electronic monitoring of Gulf fisheries, especially in the highly controversial and often explosive Gulf Red Snapper fishery.
With passage last year of the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Congress took a major step forward as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was provided with $2 million in funding for electronic data collection. Specifically, Congress directed NMFS to utilize the funding to support a voluntary electronic data collection program for the charter-for-hire fishing community in the Gulf and other regions.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently approved a measure dividing the recreational red snapper fishery into two distinct components: the charter-for-hire community and the private angling community. This action allows the for-hire community to operate under a separate management plan designed specifically to meet their distinct business needs for the next three seasons.
Read the full story from the Gulf Seafood Institute