Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies Archives

‘Great Red Snapper Count’ finds abundance in Gulf

October 5, 2020 — Scientists have presented findings to Congress that report there are more red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico than previously known, information that could affect future management of the fishery.

According to a summary by Chris Oliver, assistant fisheries administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the new information comes from the Great Red Snapper Count, a survey conducted by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University. On Thursday, a team from the Harte Institute briefed members of Congress on their findings.

“First, the welcome news,” wrote Oliver. “(B)ased on this study, there are more red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico that previously thought, possibly up to three times as many. We can all agree that’s a good thing.”

The Great Red Snapper Count began in 2016 when $10 million in federal funding was made available for a study. The goal for the two-year project was to create an independent estimate of the snapper population in the Gulf. The Harte Institute summed up the problem:

Read the full story at AL.com

Red snapper tagging program paying early dividends

June 17, 2019 — When Texas anglers catch a red snapper between now and the end of the year, they might be landing more than the most popular reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico and the makings of some wonderful meals. That red snapper could prove a pretty good payday for its captor and provide crucial information in an unprecedented research project aimed at benefiting the fish and the anglers who target them.

As part of a two-year program titled “The Great Red Snapper Count,” fisheries researchers earlier this year captured 4,000 red snapper from offshore waters along the length of the gulf coast, from Key West to Brownsville. They fit those snapper with small streamer tags — bright yellow, thin plastic tubes that resemble a short piece of spaghetti on which is printed an identifying number and a request that the person catching the fish call a contact number printed on the tag.

Also printed on each tag is “Reward $250.” Some of the 4,000 snapper are fit with two tags, upping the reward to $500 for the person reporting the capture of those fish.

The tagged snapper were released where they were caught, in dozens of offshore locations off the coast of the five Gulf states. And, barely two weeks into the recreational snapper fishing season in federal waters off Texas, a little less than 100 anglers have landed tagged snapper, reported their catch and claimed their $250-$500 reward.

“They’re thrilled,” said Dannielle Kulaw, project coordinator for the program, which is based out of Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the person who answers when anglers call the contact number on the tags. “There hasn’t been one unhappy person. And we’re happy, too.”

Read the full story at the Houston Chronicle

Major Independent Study of Gulf Red Snapper Population Announced

February 26, 2018 — Independent fisheries studies are a major factor in management’s determinations of fish stocks, but the data is not always easy to come by. Studies are hard to fund, and may not be conducted consistently over the years if that funding disappears. But recently, there was news of a major study to be conducted on Gulf red snapper populations to develop data on the stocks that would certainly be useful in coming to a better, clearer understanding of the levels and dynamics of that species in the Gulf.

A team of university and government scientists, selected by an expert review panel convened by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, will conduct an independent study to estimate the number of red snapper in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

“American communities across the Gulf of Mexico depend on their access to, as well as the long term sustainability of, red snapper,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I look forward to the insights this project will provide as we study and manage this valuable resource.”

The research team, made up of 21 scientists from 12 institutions of higher learning, a state agency and a federal agency, was awarded $9.5 million in federal funds for the project through a competitive research grant process. With matching funds from the universities, the project will total $12 million.

“We’ve assembled some of the best red snapper scientists for this study,” said Greg Stunz, the project leader and a professor at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. “The team members assembled through this process are ready to address this challenging research question. There are lots of constituents who want an independent abundance estimate that will be anxiously awaiting our findings.”

Recreational anglers and commercial fishermen will be invited to play a key role in collecting data by tagging fish, reporting tags and working directly with scientists onboard their vessels.

Read the full story at Florida Sportsman

Trump team may have broken law to score red snapper win

December 19, 2017 — The Trump administration scored last week when a House panel voted to give Gulf of Mexico states more power in managing the popular red snapper, but court records suggest it may be a tainted victory.

Internal memos show that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and a top adviser may have knowingly violated federal fisheries law in June when they extended the Gulf red snapper season, hoping the move would pressure Congress to act.

In a June 1 memo, Earl Comstock, the Commerce Department’s director of policy and strategic planning, told Ross that a longer season “would result in overfishing” of the stock by as much as 40 percent and possibly prompt a lawsuit.

But Comstock urged Ross to extend the season anyway, saying it could lead to “a significant achievement” by forcing Congress to liberalize the federal law and transfer more authority to Gulf states.

“It would allow a reset in the acrimonious relationship and set the stage for Congress to adopt a long-term fix,” Comstock told Ross.

Comstock followed up with a second memo on June 7, reminding his boss that both the White House and a dozen congressmen from Gulf states had asked Ross to explore the possibility of a longer fishing season.

The next week, Ross decided to extend the season from three to 42 days, much to the joy of recreational anglers in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama (Greenwire, Sept. 20).

Critics say the memos offer proof that Commerce and NOAA Fisheries plotted to bypass the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, a 1976 law that sets quotas as a way to rebuild overfished stocks, including the red snapper.

“I appreciate it when people are transparent about their intentions,” said Janis Searles Jones, the CEO of Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental group.

Commerce made the memos public as part of its response to a lawsuit filed in July in U.S. District Court in Washington by Ocean Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund. The complaint accuses Ross, NOAA and NOAA Fisheries of mismanagement by allowing overfishing.

Read the full story at E&E News

How Many Red Snapper Are in the Gulf of Mexico?

November 22, 2017 — Several stakeholder groups have expressed concerns that there are more red snapper in the Gulf than currently accounted for in the stock assessment.

In 2016, Congress directed the National Sea Grant College Program and NOAA Fisheries to fund independent red snapper data collections, surveys and assessments, including the use of tagging and advanced sampling technologies. Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries worked collaboratively to transfer federal funds to Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant offsite link to administer the competitive research grant process and manage this independent abundance estimate.

To conduct the independent study, a research team of 21 scientists from 12 institutions of higher learning, a state agency and a federal agency was selected by an expert review panel convened by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. The team secured $9.5 million in federal funds for the project through a competitive research grant process, and together with matching funds from the universities, the project will total $12 million.

Read the full story at Marine Technology News