May 6, 2013 — After 13 years on the federal overfishing list, red snapper has been removed after a report showed the species has made a comeback in the Gulf of Mexico.
Released Monday, the report provides a snapshot of U.S. fisheries stocks in 2012. Results showed a 59 percent increase in the red snapper quota since 2009.
However, red snapper remain on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s overfished list, which is different from the overfishing list.
“The critical list that it’s still on is the overfished designation,” said local charter captain Bob Zales. “Many of us believe we’re past that and this fishery is not overfished anymore.”
According to NOAA, an “overfishing” stock is a product of overfishing for many years and has a harvest rate that is too high to produce its maximum sustainable yield.
“Overfished” species have a biomass level depleted to a degree that the stock’s capacity to produce the maximum sustainable yield is jeopardized. Overfished species like red snapper are subject to fishery management and rebuilding plans.