Ban on Bagging Red Snapper
Regional fishery managers decided Thursday to move ahead with an interim rule that includes a temporary moratorium on red snapper fishing.
By a 7-6 vote, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted at its meeting on Jekyll Island, Ga., to develop an interim rule to control overfishing of the species.
The seasonal closure would affect both commercial and recreational red snapper fishing and would apply to state and federal water from Key West to the Carolinas.
"That's almost criminal," Ron Rincones, a fisherman from Grant-Valkaria, said before Thursday's vote. "You're going to cause more fish to be imported."
As a result, red snapper sold at stores and restaurants likely will come from Mexico or elsewhere -- at a higher price.
The closure would apply regardless of whether the red snapper are harvested in state or federal water, and it would take effect about 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which is expected to coincide with the peak spawning season.
The spawning season for female red snapper off the southeastern United States runs from May to October, peaking July through September.
The closure would be effective for four to six months and could be extended for another 186 days while more permanent rules are developed...
