Red Snapper Season Extended in State Waters

July 7, 2008- Governor Bob Riley has extended red snapper season within Alabama’s jurisdictional waters through October 31, 2008.

After discussion with Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley, Riley cited the inconsistency of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to force compliance with the federal regulations regarding red snapper in Florida and Texas. Texas has a year-round season for its states waters with a four-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 15 inches, while Florida has an April 15 through Oct. 31, 2008 season with a two-fish bag limit with a minimum length of 16 inches.

Current federal regulations governing red snapper fishing set a season of June 1 through Aug. 5, 2008 with a bag limit of two per person with a minimum length of 16 inches. Captain and crew may not possess any red snapper.

“Alabama understands and supports the federal government’s policies on managing marine resources,” said Governor Riley. “However, we cannot stand by and allow Alabama's fishermen to be penalized without NOAA addressing the lack of support by other states."

Commissioner Lawley said that federal regulations have little effect on states like Florida and Texas with nine nautical miles of state waters off shore. Alabama, with its three nautical miles, is significantly affected.

“Those states can continue to harvest red snapper while our charter captains struggle with the burden of 56 fewer days of fishing,” Lawley said. “This economic burden is multiplied in communities like Orange Beach and Dauphin Island where offshore fishing is a driving force in their economies.”

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.

Riley vows to fight for state's fishermen

Governor, conservation commissioner say Florida and Texas decisions on red snapper penalizing Alabama fishermen
Sunday, June 15, 2008
By JEFF DUTE
Outdoors Editor
ORANGE BEACH — While on an offshore fishing trip Friday, Gov. Bob Riley vowed to fight what he characterized as unfair federal management of red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico that is hurting Alabama anglers and the charter fishing fleet.

Riley said he is concerned about the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision not to directly penalize Florida and Texas despite those states' decisions not to adopt federal snapper management regulations in their state waters for the past two years.

When the NMFS reduced the red snapper bag limit to two fish per person per day last year, Florida, Texas and Alabama decided instead to maintain state daily bag limits at four fish.

Mobile Press-Register

Snapper issue full of snags

Looser rules aren't likely in next few years

By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Roy Crabtree pretty much cut to the heart of the situation facing red snapper, anglers who target that highly popular offshore fish, the businesses that depend on the snapper fishery, and the people charged with managing the marine resource.

"Nobody in the Gulf of Mexico is happy. I'm not happy. You're not happy," Crabtree, regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service's southeast region, said to a crowd of about 100 aggravated anglers during a meeting Friday evening at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

"I can understand your frustrations," he said to the group who had come, mostly, to voice their exasperation with increasingly tighter federal regulations on recreational red snapper harvest. "But I need real solutions that are consistent with the science and that will stand up in court."

Click here to read the full article from the Houston Chronicle.

Watch for The Orange Beach Community Website's article on this topic coming out this week.

It's time for state to fight NMFS on snapper regs

by Jeff Dute

The National Marine Fisheries Service is threatening to further shorten the red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico this year if Florida and Texas stand firm in their decisions not to match federal regulations in their state waters, which extend out nine miles.

Such a decision would be another blow to Alabama's once-lucrative charter industry.

As it now stands, red snapper season would run from June 1 until Sept. 30. NMFS says if the two states keep their waters open, the 2.2-million pound recreational total allowable catch will be reached much sooner, and the season would have to close Aug. 5.

NMFS is basing this assessment on its data from 2007, which suggests the recreational sector exceeded its share of the Gulf's red snapper bounty by 500,000 pounds.

NMFS says the vast majority of the overage can be attributed to Florida's refusal to reduce the red snapper daily bag limit, which went from four fish to two in federal waters, and to eliminate the captain and crew bag on for-hire vessels.

Apparently, few mature red snapper are caught in Texas' shallow state waters. Those same waters do, however, act as nursery grounds for juvenile red snapper, and according to NMFS are the site of the greatest bycatch mortality of that size fish caught in shrimp trawls.

No matter the reasoning, shortening the season would hurt the industry in Alabama.

Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.

Major Changes Looming for Grouper Anglers

03-03-2008- Florida Sportsman Magazine -
No use cryin' about it next season. Share your input NOW! All reef anglers on Gulf and Atlantic coasts must read this.

Gulf of Mexico federal waters:
>Possible recreational grouper season closure—Jan.-April, maybe longer—under study No fishing for any shallow-water grouper during that period
>Bag limit could drop to one (1) gag per angler
>Size limits may change
>Commercial quotas, and allocation, also up for review
>New marine reserves may come on line
>Good news is red grouper limits may loosen some

Learn everything about these issues in the draft public hearing document, which you can obtain by calling the Council at (813) 348-1630; email gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org.

The Gulf Council wants to know how you feel about the gag and red grouper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico—population trends, remarks on limits, potential impacts of season closures or other measures. Call your buddies and car-pool to one of following public hearings. They begin at 6 p.m. at the following locations:

March 12 - Erie Meyer Civic Center 10300 2nd St. Gulf Shores, AL.

Click here to read the full article from Florida Sportsman Magazine.

Offshore Patrol Reveals Fishing Violations

(stock photo)

February 15, 2008- Alabama Gulf Coast

Alabama Marine Resources Division officers confiscated 110 red snapper fillets and four red drum recently during a patrol made possible by a joint enforcement agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Marine Resources Conservation Enforcement Officer Bo Willis and Lt. Scott Bannon boarded the Slick As Glass about 25 nautical miles south of Petit Bois Island off the Mississippi Coast and found four red drum that had been gutted and a mesh bag containing the fillets of 55 red snapper.

It is illegal to harvest or possess red drum in federal waters. The recreational season for red snapper is currently closed. The boat did not have a federal reef fish permit.

Capt. Marcus Murphy III of Pascagoula, Miss., and two crew members were advised the case would be turned over to federal authorities, and the red drum and red snapper fillets were confiscated.

“This case and several others are the direct result of the joint enforcement agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service,” said Vernon Minton, Director of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division. “This agreement pays to allow officers to work overtime, both offshore and nearshore, to enforce regulations, as well as purchase equipment necessary for these patrols. It has also increased our presence in state waters.”

Major John T. Jenkins, Chief of Enforcement with Marine Resources, said the division received $750,000 last year from the joint agreement and were able to purchase 8-meter and 10-meter offshore boats.

“It also provided us with an additional 3,800 patrol hours – offshore, nearshore and dockside patrols,” Jenkins said. “This case was one of the offshore patrols we are conducting under the agreement.

During the patrol, Officer Willis and Lt. Bannon checked 10 boats (a total of 34 people) that day.

On the way out, they cited three people for not having a saltwater fishing license and one for improperly marked recreational crab trap.

“The point I’m trying to get across is the federal money gives us more patrol time, whether it’s crabbing, saltwater fishing or gill net fishing.”

According to the report filed by the officers, Bannon boarded the boat and asked what the fishermen were catching. When the fishermen responded they were catching redfish, Bannon advised it is illegal to harvest or possess redfish in federal waters. Bannon then checked the three ice chests on board and discovered four gutted redfish and a mesh bag containing 110 red snapper fillets with the skins attached. The defendants agreed the fish were indeed red snapper.

“This was a pretty egregious violation,” Jenkins said. “We forwarded the case packet to Special Agent Greg Houghaboom with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Niceville, Fla. He will review the case packet and forward it to Federal Prosecutor Karen Raine.

“In any enforcement situation, usually 10 percent of the people are responsible for 90 percent of the violations. This shows that we are able to apprehend these violators because of the equipment provided and extra hours to be on the water. This helps NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and it improves assets and man-hours for state enforcement, too.”

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.

Alabama's Artificial Reef Program

Alabama's Artificial Reef Program is the product of a cooperative agreement between the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The program is the culmination of many meetings, letters, reports and workshops between various user groups within the coastal area and while the system addressed on this page is the current program, it is intended to be dynamic with changes occurring as technology develops on artificial reef construction.

Click here for the complete article on Alabama Outdoor.

Click here for information on getting your own private artificial reef; either at your dock, or at a non-disclosed location in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat"

December 17, 2007- www.OrangeBeach.ws

Captains Wade Weidenbach and Scotty Bowman, John Cook and photographer Nikki Paschenand hooked a 609 pound Mako Shark at about 3:00 this afternoon near the Perdido Pass. They were fishing from a 17' Cape Horn. The shark was caught on an open-face spinning reel spooled with 40 lb. test line.


Click here to read the complete article and view photos.

Off-season Fishing in Orange Beach.

844 lb Record Shark Caught in Destin Tournament

PATRICK RICE
Sunday October 14th, 2007

DESTIN – Adlee Bruner’s fishing story is about the big one that didn’t get away. Bruner and five friends headed out Saturday morning on a charter boat, hoping to catch some grouper to enter in the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo. Instead, Bruner landed a gargantuan 844.4-pound mako shark, setting a new record for the decades-old tournament.

“It was tense,” Bruner, 47, said about the fight to land the 11-foot shark with a mouthful of huge teeth. “I’ve fished for 40 years. I’ve never see one that big.”

Click here to read the full story and see more pictures from the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Letter to the Editor: Proposed Orange Beach Boat Launch

Following is a letter to the editor written by Gene Meyers of Paradise Marine in Gulf Shores.

SHOULD A VOCAL MINORITY WITH POLITICAL CLOUT BE ABLE TO HALT A PUBLIC PROJECT THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL OF ALABAMA’S CITIZENS?

Click here to view the ad that appeared in the Mobile Press-Register.

Why YOUR support is needed, and YOUR voice must be heard in Montgomery!

If you are a boater, or concerned citizen, you need to read this information, as the consequences will impact your boating enjoyment, and your rights as an Alabamian. The proposed 5 acre Boat Launch Facility would be located on Old River between the Caribe Resort and Ono Island Bridge. The property was to be provided by the State of Alabama and leased to the City of Orange Beach, who would fund and build the project. For the boating public and our community this project is long overdue. Public access to our state’s waterways is shrinking at an alarming rate. Developers have purchased marinas, boat yards and waterfront property and converted these properties to condominium projects. State and local municipalities must be pro-active and take bold steps to address this alarming decline. Without proper access, the average working man and his family is limited in their ability to boat, fish, and play on these waters.

The project opponents, mostly Ono Island residents and members of the Perdido Key Coalition claim that our area boat ramps are under-utilized. Nothing is farther from the truth as any local boater can tell you. (See for Yourself) The lack of parking at these facilities is the most pressing issue and getting worse all the time. On a busy summer weekend hundreds of trailers and tow vehicles park illegally on the side of the roads around the Cotton Bayou boat launch. This causes major public safety concerns for the City of Orange Beach who walk a fine line between both public safety and tourist relations. There are many unfortunate instances when vehicles get towed. These kinds of conflicts do not bode well for a tourist community that depends on a constant flow of satisfied visitors.

In Baldwin County boat registrations are growing at a rate of 2.6%. Baldwin County’s population is also growing at an astronomical rate and many of these citizens have been drawn here by the lure of our inshore and offshore waters. These water access shortcomings can only be addressed by a consistent commitment from the Conservation Department. They must maximize the diminishing opportunities they have to provide fair and equal water access as our state's population grows and our tourism stream increases.

We all know that the City of Orange Beach's foundation and heritage is tightly intertwined with recreational boating and fishing. They understand this and have eagerly provided the initiative, resources and most importantly the foresight, to address the issue. The City has done some impressive work in the design stages of this facility proposal. It is a showpiece to be proud of! It is cutting edge in its visual appeal, physical layout, and proposed operational procedures.

One argument we have heard regularly from project opponents revolves around the impact this project will have in what they claim to be one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the area. We all can agree that this is a beautiful piece of natural property; there is no doubt in our mind. On the other hand by "offering" this parcel to the public good you will allow many more citizens the ability to enjoy, and utilize an even bigger resource, our state’s countless square miles of recreational waterways.

The same people who mask their opposition to this project by cloaking themselves behind the "environmental flag" cannot have it both ways. At one time Ono Island was also a precious and pristine resource until progress and demand allowed it to be heavily built upon and intersected with a network of man-made, environmentally unfriendly canals. Many of these opponents have their piece of paradise, living adjacent to the water. Ono Island residents who oppose this project also have their own private boat ramp facility. They have no boating access problem. Shouldn’t they understand that everyone must have the same privilege to utilize the resource without having to own expensive waterfront property?

Here is an interesting paradox that surfaces regarding this issue. The current entrance and bridge to Ono Island is located on what was also once pristine state property. Years ago when the state offered this parcel, it opened the island up for use by private individuals and developers, not the public. Without that easement grant, Ono Island would not be what it is today, a private gated Island community. The Conservation Department now has the same opportunity to offer a nearby parcel for the benefit of the entire state, not just a few citizens. Wouldn’t this provide a much better return on public investment? After all isn’t it the responsibility of the state to provide for the maximum benefit of the majority of its citizens?

Most of the opponents of the Boat Launch Facility are residents of Ono Island, but not all Ono residents oppose it. Those that do are a very vocal minority and they wield a considerable amount of political clout. They are making their opposition known and getting the ear of state officials. Our voices of SUPPORT must be heard if we are to continue to have convenient access to Alabama’s waterways. If you are a boater, fisherman, or concerned citizen, this issue affects YOU! YOUR support is vital. We urge YOU to write, email, and phone your SUPPORT for this project to Governor Bob Riley, Commissioner M. Barnett Lawley, and the officials of the City of Orange Beach.

* Visit our Government Officials Page for email addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers to voice your SUPPORT.

If state officials make the decision to proceed based on the public benefit and consider investment versus the return we have a good chance to get the boat launching facility we so badly need. To have a handful of people thwart this much needed, well planned, and environmentally friendly project would be a travesty. All Alabamians have the right to equal access opportunities to all of Alabama's outdoor resources, not just a privileged few.

We are very passionate about this issue. We stand firm in our belief that every citizen has the right to access our State's natural resources, we also stand firm in our belief that every citizen has the right to be heard. We believe that both sides of every issue should be presented in a fair and accurate manner. Therefore, we are providing a link to our opposition’s web site: www.perdidokeycoalition.com

Local pro Marcus Kennedy leads FLW Anglers into Final Day

(Photo- Marcus Kennedy & Max Williams taken by David A. Brown)

By David A. Brown - 06.Oct.2007

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – As the rising sun peeked through Ferris wheel framework at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, a quintet of kingfish teams headed into a bumpy Gulf of Mexico for their own brand of thrill ride in the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship’s final round.

Local pro Marcus Kennedy, a perennial favorite heading the Mobile, Alabama-based Team Kwazar leads the field with a 51-pound, 11 ounce kingfish. The leaders caught Friday’s top king over natural bottom structure about 65 miles southwest of Orange Beach, and they’ll stick with the same plan today.

“We’ll probably do about the same thing that we did yesterday,” Kennedy said. “We might change the area a little bit, but not much.”

Live baitfish like blue runners (locally called “hardtails”) will be the dominant offering, but Kennedy said he’ll also run dead ribbonfish in his spread. He’ll dress a couple of his live baits with pink or chartreuse skirts to enhance their attraction.

“The water’s clear, but it’s rough out there and I think (a skirt) helps the kings find the bait better,” he said. “I’ll run skirts on two of my baits and the rest of them will be naked.”

Team Kwazar holds a 10-pound lead over second-place Team Sake led by Neil Nix of Okeechobee, Fla., and a 15-pound margin separates the first and fifth spots. However, with the Northern Gulf of Mexico’s reputation for hordes of monster kings, one lucky break can quickly redirect fortune’s favor.

“If we had any sense we’d go catch a 30-pounder somewhere, but we have to go back and try to catch another big fish,” he said. “If we catch a 40-pounder, it’ll be tough to beat (91 pounds). But there are a lot of good fishermen fishing this tournament so you can’t take anything for granted.”

Tournament officials cancelled Thursday’s scheduled start when inclement weather and extremely rough seas created unsafe boating conditions. Losing one qualifying day in what was originally to be a three-day event put most teams in a swing-for-the fence mode on Friday. FLW Kingfish Series Tournament Director Chris Hoover said the adjusted schedule amplifies the feeling of accomplishment for Saturday’s top-five teams.

“Yesterday was a big day for these teams to go out and get as much weight as they could, but today’s going to take a little bit of pressure off of them because they’ve already made the top five,” Hoover said. “Everyone would love to win, but they all want to make it to that TV day and have the opportunity to (win the Championship).”

Hoover also pointed out that while local knowledge and experience clearly factor into the competitive equation, the first-place prize remains within reach of all top-five teams until the last fish hits the scale Saturday afternoon.

“It’s anyone’s game,” Hoover said. “These teams network so much that they all have (GPS) numbers and locations (to fish). So really all of the teams will have the same opportunity because they’ve networked and they’ve done their homework before they even got here.

“Anything can happen out there today, so it’s going to be really exciting.”

Tournament rules
The Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship, which concludes today, gathers the top finishers from five divisions – North Carolina, South Carolina/Georgia, East Florida, Gulf, and Upper Gulf. The top five teams compete in today’s final round for a top award of as much as $70,000.

Action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. (Central Time) at The Wharf, located at 23101 Canal Road in Orange Beach. The National Guard Family Fun Zone opens at noon with free games and giveaways.

Friday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:47 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 79 degrees
Expected high temperature: 92 degrees
Water temperature: 79 degrees
Wind: from the east-northeast at 10-15 mph
Humidity: 79 percent
Day’s outlook: Cloudy with isolated thunderstorms

NOAA Swordfish/Billfish Online Reporting

September 28, 2007-- NOAA Fisheries announces the availability of internet reporting for recreational non-tournament landings of swordfish and billfish.

To simplify mandatory reporting, NOAA Fisheries is implementing a web-based portal where anglers can report landings of non-tournament Atlantic swordfish and billfish (Atlantic blue and white marlin and sailfish). The reporting of recreational landings plays an important role in effectively monitoring catch and effort directed toward Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) and complying with international obligations.

Effective October 17, 2007, owners of HMS permitted vessels, or their designee, should report recreational non-tournament swordfish and billfish landings using a newly designed web-based reporting system at http:/www.hmspermits.gov to log-in and report a swordfish or billfish landing, vessel owners will need to provide: HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat category permit number; trip information (e.g. trip dates); and, catch and fishing gear/technique specifics.

After a landings report has been successfully completed, vessel owners will be provided with a confirmation number for each individual fish reported landed. There is an option to print the confirmation numbers or have them sent electronically to a personal email account. A swordfish or billfish landing report is not considered complete unless the vessel owner, or the owner's designee, has received a confirmation number.

The new web-based reporting system will be the primary reporting portal for recreational non-tournament swordfish and billfish landings; however, NOAA Fisheries will maintain and monitor the current toll-free reporting line to assist those vessel owners who do not have access to the internet.

As a reminder, owners of private vessels used to fish recreationally for Atlantic HMS, or on which Atlantic HMS are retained or possessed, are required to have an Atlantic HMS Angling category permit. Owners of for-hire vessels used to take anglers fishing for a fee are required to have the HMS Charter/Headboat category permit. For more information on the HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat category permit, log on to http://www.hmspermits.gov call the HMS Management Division's St. Petersburg office at (727) 824-5399. NOAA Fisheries also encourages all who fish for HMS to use circle hooks to help minimize injuries to, and mortality of, released fish.

NOAA Fisheries' HMS Management Division appreciates the cooperation of vessel owners in complying with these non-tournament recreational reporting requirements.

More Trophy Swordfish to come from the Gulf of Mexico is an article written and published by The Orange Beach Community Website that explains why it is important to report your swordfish and billfish catch.