May 16, 2017 — Five southern Republican lawmakers are calling on U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to extend the number of days for this year’s recreational red snapper season.
Among those signing a letter sent to Ross on Monday is U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, who calls the current three-day recreational season as “simply not acceptable.”
The season is scheduled to run from June 1-3. It makes it the shortest recreational season ever for red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico’s federal waters.
“Anyone who knows anything about Gulf Coast fisheries would agree that the red snapper fishery is incredibly healthy,” Byrne said.
The letter was signed by Byrne and fellow U.S. House members – John Carter and Randy Weber of Texas, Garret Graves of Louisiana and Steven Palazzo of Mississippi.
“We feel re-evaluating your agency’s decision for the 2017 seasons is warranted, and we urge you to continue working with us to develop a long-term solution to address these issues impacting our recreational fishermen and coastal communities,” the letter states.