‘There’s no win.’ Local fishermen react to shorter fishing seasons in Gulf of Mexico
On May 3, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council announced the shortest gag grouper season in the Gulf’s history, set to be from Sept. 1 through Nov. 10 in 2023.
Looking to represent anglers, captain Ed Walker was sworn in by NOAA Staff on Aug. 14 as a member of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The council, which sets dates and limits for fishery seasons, is often seen by recreational anglers as overstepping with strict seasons on popular species like gag grouper, red grouper, red snapper, amberjack and more.
With the short gag grouper season announcement anglers were unhappy with the reduction from what was a six- to seven-month season in previous years.
At the end of September, Walker shared what was on the agenda for an October announcement from the NOAA. The gag grouper season, which has already been hampered by a hurricane, hot weather, wind and dirty water, would be closing even sooner than anticipated despite these hindrances.
“Projections of recreational catch and effort data indicate the recreational Gulf gag annual catch limit of 403,759 pounds gutted weight will be reached on October 19, 2023,” states the official closure release put out by NOAA Fisheries. “In accordance with the regulations, NOAA Fisheries must close harvest when the recreational annual catch limit has been met or is projected to be met.”
Blindsided by the controversial news, the fishing community voiced anger with almost no support for the emergency action.
“Through the years, I’ve learned there’s no win for the recreational angler,” states angler Eric, whose profile photo is with a gag grouper. “If you catch too many, you’re shut down; if you don’t catch enough, the stocks are weak and shut down. There needs to be better stock management.”
Many offshore charter captains shared their frustration with a lack of fish to target for high-paying customers who often want fish to take home.
Earlier this year, the red grouper season was cut short. Red snapper season is closed as well as amberjack, meaning four popular meat fish won’t be returning to docks anytime in 2023 after Oct. 19 on federally permitted charters.
Offshore captains will now be targeting other species like mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, lane snapper and hogfish to provide a meal. I anticipate seeing more grey snapper (aka Key West grunts) on docks later in the year as well.
The biggest issue anglers have is a lack of trust in the fishery management process. How are these numbers calculated and by whom? One of the common answers I’ve seen from the Gulf Council is the assumption that anglers are fishing more in a compressed time because of the short season. The data, from what I understand, is stretched out even when the weather might not be good and people can’t fish.
In years past, red snapper seasons have fluctuated in length despite anglers clamoring for more. Red grouper this year seem to be caught more frequently than in recent years, but the season was cut short early in the summer because of this. So if there are more fish around and they are caught faster, the season closes sooner.
Is there a right answer? Obviously, some season is needed for popular species that have low populations and need to reproduce. Boats are getting bigger and faster while technology is making it easier to get right to a spot.
From GPS trolling motors to maps of the Gulf floor, it’s much simpler to get right to a spot and drop a line than it has ever been before. The learning curve to find spots and catch fish by anglers needing to spend time on the water to educate themselves has shrunk.
Combine that as more boats hit the Gulf with exponential growth in the area, everyone wants to catch the same amount of fish, so the individual piece of the pie gets smaller as a result. The fishery changes enough on its own. And for those who want to fish later this year, long-term solutions are leading to short-term problems.
