The Gulf Council took final action to modify the post-season accountability measures for private recreational red snapper to allow more flexibility without compromising the effectiveness of state management. Presently, if a Gulf state's landings exceed its state-specific annual catch limit (ACL) in a fishing year, then in the following year, that state's ACL will be reduced by the amount of the overage in the previous year. The Council recommends that a payback should only be triggered if:
- the state landings exceed its ACL by more than 10%, or
- the state exceeds its ACL more than once in three years, or
- the state has an overage of any amount while the total private recreational landings from all states exceed the total private recreational ACL.
The document will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for consideration and implementation as soon as practicable.
About The Gulf Council: The Gulf Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of America.