Proposed Interim Rule for South Atlantic Red Snapper
Frequently Asked Questions
July 2009
What is the issue with the South Atlantic red snapper fishery?
A new stock assessment was completed for red snapper through the Southeast Data,
Assessment and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment program in 2008. The
assessment (SEDAR 15) found that the South Atlantic red snapper stock is overfished
and currently undergoing overfishing.
http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/sedar/.
What is being done to address overfishing in the South Atlantic red snapper fishery?
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) received notification
from NOAA Fisheries Service, in a letter dated July 8, 2008, that the South Atlantic
red snapper stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) requires the Council to prepare a plan amendment or proposed
regulations to end overfishing within one year of notification that a stock is
undergoing overfishing.
Upon notification, the Council began developing Amendment 17 to the Snapper-
Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address long-term management measures to
end overfishing of red snapper. Amendment 17 will not be implemented until early
2010 so immediate management measures are needed to reduce overfishing of red
snapper.
The Council requested that NOAA Fisheries Service use interim measures to reduce
overfishing of red snapper while Amendment 17 can be further developed.
What is in the proposed interim rule to reduce overfishing of red snapper?
The proposed rule would implement a prohibition of recreational and commercial
harvest of red snapper for 180 days in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off of
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. This closure may be extended
for an additional 186 days.
When will the interim rule be implemented?
The Council voted during its March 2009 meeting to request that NOAA Fisheries
Service draft and implement an interim rule (short-term measures) to help address
overfishing by closing the commercial and recreational red snapper fisheries for 180
days.
The NOAA Fisheries Service has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register.
If approved, the final rule could be implemented in September or October 2009.
How long would an interim rule be in effect?
The interim rule would be effective for 180 days with the possibility of an extension
for 186 days.
Will the public be able to comment on an interim rule to close the red snapper fishery?
Yes, the proposed interim rule has a 30 day comment period during which the public
will have the opportunity to comment. Comments can be provided at
www.regulations.gov, Keyword: Red Snapper.
Would the closure for red snapper be applied to state waters as well?
If approved by the Secretary, the interim rule would only apply to federal waters off
the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida
(ranging from 3 to 200 miles offshore of each state), unless each state also chooses to
implement compatible regulations for state waters. The Council would request these
states adopt compatible regulations. However, the provisions specified in the interim
rule would also apply to a person on board a vessel for which a federal commercial or
for-hire permit for the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery has been issued,
regardless of where the fish are harvested or possessed (e.g. state or federal waters).
Why does the fishery need to be closed? Can’t the bag limit simply be reduced from 2
fish to 1 fish, or the size limit be increased from 20 inches for both the recreational and
commercial fisheries?
Changing the bag and size limits would not achieve the necessary reductions in
harvest because of the discard mortality that would continue to occur.
Amendment 17 contains management alternatives including time and area closures
that would reduce the expected future discard mortality rate of red snapper.
Given the current economic conditions, can the Council wait another year or so to put
management measures in place?
The requirement to end overfishing in the Magnuson-Stevens Act does not allow for
a delay. The Council received notification on July 8, 2008, that overfishing is
occurring in the red snapper fishery and the Council has one year to develop a plan to
end overfishing. The Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies that overfishing must be
ended while minimizing, to the greatest extent practicable, negative economic and
social impacts.
I’m seeing more red snapper than I have in the past 10 years. If the stock is in such bad
shape, why are we catching more fish?
Many fishermen have testified during public hearings and scoping meetings that they
are catching more red snapper in recent years, especially for those fishing off the
coast of Georgia and northeast Florida. A spike in 2007 and 2008 recreational
landings documents that fishermen are seeing more fish now than in previous years.
The spike in landings appears to be the result of good recruitment of the stock in
recent year.
Despite good recruitment, the age structure of the population remains truncated (there
are not enough older fish). Red snapper live to 54 years of age, but in 2007 a small
percentage of the population was estimated as being age 10 or older.
We’re also seeing more of the larger fish than we have in the past few years. Aren’t
these large fish a sign that the population is healthy?
For red snapper, larger fish don’t always represent older fish. There is a great deal of
variability in the size of red snapper at age. For example, the average size of a 10
year old red snapper is around 32 inches, but 10 year old fish range in size from 27 to
40 inches.
Red Snapper are being caught before they become old enough to reach their peak
reproductive levels. Although the 20 inch size limit allows some fish to spawn before
they become vulnerable to harvest, these younger, mostly first-time spawners are less
productive than the older and heavier fish. A 10-year old red snapper may have
reached 90 – 95% of its maximum length but only 80% of its potential maximum
weight.
Where did the data used in the SEDAR stock assessment come from?
Data used for the assessment consist of records of commercial catches provided by
dealer and fishermen reports since the 1940s, headboat fishery catch records from the
Southeast Headboat Survey since 1972, and recreational catch records from the
Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) since 1981. Also included
are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recreational fisheries surveys of the 1960s and
1970s. Data through 2006 were included in the assessment.
Landings and effort information are provided by dealer and fishermen reports and
surveys. Information on catch lengths and ages is provided by sampling programs
that support the catch statistics programs. Information on biological characteristics,
such as age, growth, and reproduction, is provided by various research studies.
All of the data used in the assessment are described in the SEDAR 15 red snapper
stock assessment report available on the SEDAR Web site at:
http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/sedar/. The SEDAR Web site also provides extensive
supporting documentation that describes data collection programs and research
findings.
Snapper Closure 
