Enough’s enough is what the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has said, in so many words, to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Sportsman’s Paradise showed some backbone when its management agency rejected all three proposals to adhere to federal mandates to regulate recreational and state catches in state waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The LWFC voted unanimously against federal changes dictating the closure of the recreational amberjack season, reduction of a closed season on the commercial season on gag, black and red grouper and the closure of the recreational red snapper season annually from Oct. 1 to May 31.

This action was a pleasant surprise. The LWFC has agreed to all changes ordered by the NMFS since federal regulations were initiated almost two decades ago.

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Patrick Morrow of Opelousas said it best at a LWFC meeting in Baton Rouge.

“We have been asked to mirror federal regulations. Florida and Texas did not do that when it came to red snapper and Louisiana fishermen suffered because of that,” Morrow said. “Now we are being asked to mirror federal regulations on grouper and amberjack. All this seems to have penalized recreational fishermen for commercial fishing.”

LWFC members Earl King Jr. of Amelia and Stephen Oats of Lafayette agreed.

The vote was more of a symbolic gesture of protest because state waters extend three miles off the coast of Louisiana. State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Harry Blanchet told commission members that none of the species are found in Louisiana waters.

From three miles out to 200 miles off the U.S. coastline the fishery is managed by the federal government. The area is known as the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The issue relates directly to constant reductions in recreational fishing seasons and harvests, particularly of red snapper. Recently, the NMFS announced it is considering cutting the daily creel limit for recreational red snapper fishermen from two fish to one fish or implement a 30-day season.

That red snapper revelation was the last straw for me  and many saltwater fishermen in Acadiana. Red snapper numbers in this part of the Gulf apparently are high, based on field reports the past two years, and yet recreational fishermen are being penalized.

King called recreational fishing “an economic engine for the Louisiana economy, and the charter (fishing) industry is successful. When you take boats, gasoline and all the services provided and the money that is circulated in Louisiana, it’s a huge economic engine, and that has to be taken into consideration for our vote.” Coastal Conservation Association officials have asked states to buck the flawed federal policies in the Gulf. They cited flaws in the catch share system (commercials and recreationals) for red snapper and grouper and the methods used to determine the populations of those species.

“We did not make this decision lightly because concurrent regulations are clearly a positive for the proper conservation of most fisheries. I cannot recall many times when we have supported non-concurrence, but this is a sign of how little faith anglers have today in the federal government’s management of these fisheries,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations committee.

“We have seen the problems in the Gulf red snapper fishery that have developed since catch shares were implemented in 2005, and the lack of any effort to fix those issues,” he said. “We feel that we have to draw the line somewhere until the government addresses the concerns of recreational anglers.”

The LWFC has drawn the line, too, with its stance of non-concurrence.

DON SHOOPMAN

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR