April 7, 2016 — Alabama anglers could be faced with the most restrictive red snapper quota ever in the Gulf of Mexico, possibly just six days, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne said Wednesday.
Byrne, R-Fairhope, is a frequent critic of the federal government’s handling of regulations for the annual snapper season for commercial and recreational fishing. Deep-sea fishing is a multimillion-dollar tourism draw in Alabama, and the coastal region touts itself as the top snapper spot in the world.
This year’s limits are set to be revealed in coming weeks. Byrne, however, warned that they may be even lower than those prompting public protest in 2014 and 2015.
Based on estimates from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Service, this year’s season for recreational fishing will be capped at “six to nine days,” Byrne said. The 2015 season was 10 days, up one day from 2014’s record low of nine.
The commercial charter/for-hire season will be from 30-56 days, Byrne added. The 2015 season was 44 days.
“It’s very disappointing,” Byrne said. “It’s very much like what we had last summer. … This derby season is not good for anybody and it could be dangerous.”