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:
“Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is perhaps the most economically valuable and culturally relevant fishery in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The trends in fishing activity over the past 150 years have led to a depleted stock, which is now under a rebuilding plan. As the stock continues to show signs of recovery, fishermen are seeing more (and larger) red snapper in the population; however, the spawning potential of the population (the number of eggs produced by reproductively active females) is still lower than the rebuilding target. The conundrum caused by a population that is rapidly rebuilding, but has not yet met its rebuilding target (the biomass needed for long-term sustainable yield), has led to discontent among some user groups.”
That’s putting it mildly: Fishermen have chafed at tight limits on the number of days in the recreational snapper season and the number of fish an angler can bring home. Alabama had a limit of two fish per person per day this year, a limit that will again apply in an upcoming three-day extension of the recreational season. The accusation that regulators have been overly aggressive has made the issue into fertile territory for politicians.
For years, anglers have argued that snapper have become increasingly abundant. While the Great Red Snapper Count backs that up, it also paints a more complex picture. The study distinguishes between “high relief areas,” meaning the natural and artificial reefs generally targeted by anglers, and “low relief areas” that are basically open terrain on the sea floor.
“What’s new is this study better estimates the red snapper living in the low relief/bottom habitat, such as sand or mud,” Oliver wrote. "Those areas are very extensive, but have low fish per area so are not where the fishery typically operates. In fact, the study suggests that most of the Gulf red snapper population is located in these low relief areas. This confirms what some scientists, managers, and fishermen have long suspected, but did not have the means to prove until now.
“Historically, much of the Gulf red snapper stock assessment data comes from the fishery,” he continued. “The fishery occurs mostly on the high relief natural and artificial structures in the Gulf or from surveys conducted near those areas. And, while we suspected there were more fish out there, a study of this magnitude is unprecedented. The early results that more fish were found is not surprising given the scale of this effort and use of new, innovative technologies to count fish.”
What does that mean for future fishery management? Oliver said it may well mean changes, but they won’t come overnight.
“While it is difficult to determine exactly how this study will influence red snapper management, we intend to incorporate study results into an interim stock assessment in 2021,” he wrote. “We will work with our partners on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and their Scientific and Statistical Committee to peer-review the assessment and make adjustments to red snapper management as appropriate.”
It’s clear, however, that the new findings bolster the political case for a bigger snapper harvest. Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said Friday via Twitter that he was “proud to have led the efforts in Congress to fund the Great Red Snapper Count.” He added, “Hopefully this data will allow for more #RedSnapper fishing opportunities in the Gulf.”
Ala. Rep. Bradley Byrne likewise said he’d been instrumental in funding the study and said it’s an antidote to “poor federal data on the fishery stock.”
“The Great Red Snapper Count will make clear what fishermen and scientists across the Gulf Coast have long known – federal data has consistently been wrong and undercounted the true snapper fishery,” Byrne said. “I am confident this new data will show that we can increase opportunities for snapper fishermen without danger to the health of our fishery. I am proud to continue fighting federal bureaucrats for Alabama to have the flexibility to make the best decisions to protect our fisheries, and it is now the responsibility of the Gulf Council to use this new and more accurate data to assure that everyone along the Gulf has a rational and appropriate season. There are plenty of fish for everyone.”
According to Byrne’s statement, results of the count will be released to the public “later this year.”