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Protest NMFS, no snapper season, here is what we are doing to get the media involved.
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Random Quote: Ideals are like the stars, they may never be reached. But, like mariners of the sea, man sets his course by them.
I was at the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries meeting on Thursday and after much testimony by a number of rec's and charter guys, the commission voted to reject the latest NMFS rules. This is the first time this has happened. The majority of the discussion was centered around the economics of loosing the fishery and how it is killing LA and other gulf states.
Also, there is a meeting of the Red Snapper Committe of the Gulf Council on Dec. 1-2 in Kenner. We need to have as many recreational fishermen there as possible. I will post exact time and location later.
What it means is that you have to abide by state regulations in state waters. Here's the hitch and NOAA Fisheries knows it. NOAA essentially has no at sea enforcement capability. The have cooperative agreements with states where state officers are certified federal officers and the fed funds the program so that no money comes from the state budget. Do you think NOAA will continue to fund federal enforcement in a state that has told them to pound sand? Probably not. That leaves the Coast Guard as the sole at sea enforcement agency. Ever been checked by the Coast Guard in federal waters off of LA? Without at sea federal enforcement, how many people will harvest the state limit in federal waters knowing there is almost no chance of being checked?
That leaves the Coast Guard as the sole at sea enforcement agency. Ever been checked by the Coast Guard in federal waters off of LA? Without at sea federal enforcement, how many people will harvest the state limit in federal waters knowing there is almost no chance of being checked?
I've been checked serveral times by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Louisiana for fisheries violations. There are a lot more of them off of our coast than you realize but the problem with the coast guard is that you have 18, 19, & 20 year old from Iowa, Idaho, & Ohio determining what type of fish you have on board. They don't know what the difference is between a grey, red, or mangrove snapper. They just write you up a ticket and call it a red snapper. They are especially thick during the rodeo fishing season so I wouldn't say there isn't any federal enforcement because there are a lot more Coast Guard boats than people realize.
Always make sure you have a book with pictures identifying fish on board at all times when you go offshore to avoid the lack of knowledge you may encounter from the Coast Guard when it comes to fish.
