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Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Co-Chairs Speak Out on Gulf Red Snapper Management

October 20, 2014 (Washington, DC) - Today, the Co-Chairs of the House Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC) sent a letter to Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council Chairman Kevin Anson, expressing concern regarding the rushed nature of Amendment 40, also known as "sector separation." 

 

The Council is set to take action on the proposed, controversial Amendment 40, later this week during their meeting in Mobile, Alabama. While the commercial sector will continue to receive 50 percent of the red snapper catch, Amendment 40 will divide the recreational angler's 49 percent share of the fishery roughly in half between private recreational anglers and charter/for-hire and head boat owners. While the amendment is meant to offer some relief for some charter-for-hire captains that cannot operate a business on a nine-day season, it fails to address the problem of an unnecessarily short season for the vast majority of red snapper stakeholders: the private recreational angler.

 

The House CSC Co-Chairs Representatives Bob Latta (OH) and Bennie Thompson (MS) expressed concern regarding the rushed nature of Amendment 40 and the failure to adequately assess the potential ramifications of the Amendment from scientific, legal, economic, and cultural impacts that sector separation will likely have. They stated: "While we fully support a better management approach to alleviate the hardships of an extremely short recreational season on the charter/for-hire fishery, providing more days of fishing for a select few while completely ignoring the impacts to the majority of participants is irresponsible. Other options that address the needs of the recreational fishery as a whole should be on the table."

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Since 1989 CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted sportsmen's organization in the political arena. CSF's mission is to work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. The unique and collective force of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen's Caucus (GSC) and the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC), working closely with CSF, and with the support of major hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping organizations, serves as an unprecedented network of pro-sportsmen elected officials that advance the interests of America's hunters and anglers.

Working with Congress, Governors and State Legislatures to protect and advance hunting,
angling, recreational shooting and trapping.

 

For more information on the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation go to SportsmensLink.org or contact Sara Leonard at 202.543.6850 x 11 or email [email protected].