Snapper weekends on the horizon as council votes to reopen fishery

PENSACOLA — Weekends it is for a fall red snapper season.

After more than two hours of public comment Thursday, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council decided Friday morning to go with a three-day weekend opening for red snapper beginning Oct. 1 and running through Nov. 22.

This is the council’s recommendation to the National Marine Fisheries.

Prior to their decision, more than 30 boat captains from all along the Gulf Coast from Destin to Texas as well as others gave public comment at the council meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Pensacola Thursday afternoon.

According to Roy Crabtree, of NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region, there is still plenty of red snapper to catch.

“There is 2.3 million pounds of the quota that has not been caught,” Crabtree told the council and others Thursday afternoon. The total allowable catch for recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico is 3.4 million pounds.

“We think they are in good shape to reopen,” he said.

The big question the council faced was when?

Captains from Louisiana, who are still faced with oil in the water, asked if the remaining poundage could be carried over until next year, so all would have a chance to catch the snapper.

“There is no provision in the rules to carry over to next year,” Crabtree said. He said it would be a long process and more statistics and data would need to be collected to have the pounds carry over.

Capt. Mike Eller, co-chairman of the Destin Charter Boat Association, told the council that he would like to see the fishery opened in October in support of the Destin Fishing Rodeo, which is celebrating its 62^nd year.

Eller said there was some in the DCBA that wanted to see it roll over until next year, “but believe it or not, they don’t trust National Marine Fisheries to give it to us next year,” he said throwing up his hands as other chuckled in the room.

“October snapper would be a bonus for us, and not a lot of effort,” Eller said. “We’ll take the bird in the hand.”

Destin’s Capt. Gary Jarvis agreed. He said an Oct. 1-31 opening would give “us more time to promote and encourage week-long visits.” Plus the month-long season would allow flexibility for bad weather patterns.

Most of the captains from the Panama City area were in favor of the three-day weekend.

“If we could roll it over to next year, it would probably be more fair for everybody,” said Capt. Henry “Hank” Hunt of Panama City.  “But if not, open it soon in September and weekends.”

Pam Anderson of Capt. Anderson’s Marina on Panama City Beach said she also supported a three-day weekend opening.

As for fishermen to the west of Destin, the sentiments were mixed.

“Anything they will let us have in the fall would be great,” said Joe Nash of Orange Beach, Ala.

Another captain from Orange Beach said he would support an Oct. 1-31 opening. “It would be great to watch a ball game and catch snapper in the same day.”

Capt. Tom Becker of Mississippi said, “We’re in an area that might not be open (for fishing) in September, but October we might be open … we can sell that.”

A captain from Grand Isle, La, said he hasn’t been able to fish for snapper at all this year. “We still have oil,” he said. He questioned the possibility of rolling it over “putting it in the bank” and then pulling it out next year.

Capt. Scott Hickman of Galveston, Texas supported an early start on the three-day weekend.

Capt. Mike Jennings of Freeport, Texas said he liked the three-day weekends. However, he said, “I’d vote for just about any of it … just don’t over fish it.”