Mercury Marine applauds move to alter red snapper management in the Gulf of Mexico

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (March 16, 2015) – Mercury Marine, the world leader in commercial and recreational marine propulsion and technology, joins the NMMA and others in support of the new red snapper outline signed this weekend by fish and game representatives from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The new regulation will give state fisheries control over the management of red snapper throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

The change in management from the national to a more regional approach is intended to provide a boost to recreational fishing and boating in the area. According to a joint statement, the management of red snapper will now run through an independent body called the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority and no longer reside within the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

“Effective red snapper fisheries management is extremely important to both conservation and the marine industry,” said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president. “Giving each state the responsibility for all management of red snapper in their respective state and adjacent federal waters is not only the right thing to do, but it's also the most effective way to do it well."

According to the official announcement, under this management structure, each state would have authority to manage red snapper out to 200 miles off its coastline. Each state would be responsible for developing and implementing a red snapper management plan for its waters, which would be approved by the rest of the states.

Captain Diego Toiran explains how the new regulations will help recreational fishing and boating in this new video on the Mercury Marine YouTube page.

“We have long pushed for the states to take over Gulf red snapper, but until now, we haven’t had a detailed plan for what state-based management would look like,” CCA president Patrick Murray said in a statement. “Under this approach, we are confident that management outcomes will begin to align with the health of the resource and anglers’ access to it.”

The new plan needs the approval of the GMFMC, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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