May 29, 2018 — After several years of debate mixed with rancor, among a handful of marine biologists and well-funded environmental organizations, federal fisheries managers declared Gulf of Mexico’ red snapper stocks no longer fall into the “overfished” classification.
The news came earlier this month when the 2017 Status of U.S. Fisheries Report was sent to Congress.
Red snapper were among five species removed from the “overfished” list. Others were the gray triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico, yelloweye rockfish and Pacific ocean perch along the Pacific Coast and winter flounder on the Georges Bank.
Bluefin tuna was also on that listing in the western Atlantic, but the report read, “… due to significant scientific uncertainty, the status of this stock cannot be determined following a 2017 assessment.”
The report drew praise from the recreational fishing community, which has insisted red snapper stocks, especially stocks in the western Gulf of Mexico should have been off the overfished list at least three years ago, but that stocks in the eastern gulf dragged down the overall red snappers Gulf-wide.
Six other species, including sailfish in the western Atlantic, were removed from the “overfishing” list.
Read the full story at the Acadiana Advocate