CCA Florida is urging all Gulf Coast anglers to actively oppose the Gulf of Mexico Federal Fishery Management Council's proposal to close the recreational gag grouper fishery for four months. "We simply can not believe that the Council has added a huge recreational closure on gag grouper as part of the red grouper restoration plan," said CCA Florida Executive Director Ted Forsgren. "In past Gulf Council actions on gag grouper the commercial fishers got the mine and the recreational fishers have clearly gotten the shaft. This new proposal is more of the same."

A CCA Florida analysis of Gulf grouper landings before and after federal regulations clearly indicates that the Council's past actions toward recreational fishermen in gag grouper management have been horribly inequitable. The cumulative impact of 11 years of Gulf Council gag grouper regulations have caused the annual recreational landings, after federal regulations, to be reduced by an average of 42%. Commercial landings have not been reduced at all. In fact, after enacting federal regulations, average annual commercial landings have increased by 18%.

"Considering the huge inequity which has already been imposed upon the recreational fishery, the Gulf Council's "preferred option" to further reduce recreational gag landings with a major four month closure is simply unbelievable," said Dr. Ernie Hendry, CCA Florida Chairman.

As part of a mandatory effort to stop overfishing and restore depleted red grouper stocks in the Gulf, the Council is proposing regulations to reduce both commercial and recreational take of red grouper by 45%. For the commercial side, the Council is proposing to prohibit longlining in waters less than 50 fathoms deep. For the recreational side, the Council recently selected a four month closure (August - November) on red and gag grouper as their "preferred" alternative.

"There is simply no legitimate reason to impose any additional gag grouper restrictions on recreational fishermen," said Forsgren. "The damage to red grouper stocks has been caused by the fleet of commercial longline boats."

CCA Florida further noted that:

- Gulf gag grouper stocks are not overfished.

- It is completely inappropriate to close gag grouper, a major recreational fishery, to address a suggested release mortality issue in the red grouper recreational fishery which is only a minor component of the overfishing problem in red grouper. In recent years, 87% of the red grouper landings were commercial, only 13% were recreational.

- Release mortality from recreational fishers is already factored into the red and gag grouper management measures. Furthermore, unlike commercial longlining, the overwhelming majority of recreational grouper fishing occurs in water less than 80 feet deep where release mortality is low.

- The Gulf red grouper stocks have been hammered into an overfished condition by the commercial longline fleet, not by recreational fishermen catching gag grouper.

"The Gulf Council needs to focus on the real problem in the red grouper fishery, the commercial longline fleet," said CCA's Forsgren. "After the overwhelming bias shown by past council actions, throwing in a four month gag closure as part of the red grouper recovery plan is simply a punitive action against Florida's recreational fishers. We intend to fight it every step of the way."

CCA Florida urges all concerned recreational fishers to contact the Gulf Council and oppose the four month gag grouper closure on recreational fishers.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Phone (813) 228-2815
Fax (813) 225-7015
Email - gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org

NOTE: For a copy of the CCA Florida analysis of Gulf grouper landings before and after federal regulations contact Ted Forsgren @ (850) 224-3474 or info@ccaflorida.org.