Grouper victory

Fishing rights groups scored a major victory Tuesday when an advisory panel to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Commission said there is no scientific need to change gag grouper regulations

In a 13 to 1 vote, the Council's reef fish advisory panel recommended that no action be taken on gag grouper. The National Marine Fisheries Commission, the federal agency that regulates this deepwater species, had proposed a three-month closed season and lower bag limit to stop over fishing.

But a well-known Canadian marine biologist, Dr. Trevor Kenchington, hired by hired recreational and commercial fishing groups to review the data, pointed out errors in the government's stock assessments.

"He basically showed that the overfishing had ended," said Charlene Ponce, spokeswoman for the Gulf Council. "He is scheduled to make a presentation to the full council in April, at which time final action will be taken."

In a rare show of unity, a sport fishing group, the Fishing Rights Association and a commercial organization, the Southern Offshore Fishermen's Association, pooled their resources to hire Kenchington, a scientist who has proved federal regulators wrong before.

"This is a big day for us," said the FRA's Dennis O'Hern who has led the fight against the proposed regulations. "The numbers were there all along. All we needed is a PHD with no agenda to come in and show them where they had made a mistake."

Citizens will get their chance to sound off about the proposed grouper rules on Wednesday, when the Gulf Council holds a public hearing on the subject at the Raddison Hotel on Roosevelt Boulevard in St. Petersburg.

For more information, go to www.gulfcouncil.org.

Comments

[Mike]

This makes me want to take a drive down to Dockside Dave's. Gotta get a side of onion rings to go with that.

[jerry]

This is great news for those of us that have been saying all along that the council's numbers were wrong.
And thanks Terry for all your articles and backing.