This week, the FFI Gulf Coast Council held a phone conference with marine biologists from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, with regards to the current stock assessment of red drum in Louisiana. Discussed in detail were potential management proposals that the GCC might be willing to endorse.
Before continuing, if you are not familiar with this issue – and even if you are – we strongly recommend you listen to Episode 2 from The Redfish Podcast. Captains Ty Hibbs, Shane Mayfield and Dave Best do an excellent job of explaining the problem and solution alternatives.
Also, Tony Friedrich – VP and Policy Director of the American Saltwater Guides Association – has this video similiarly explaining the problem and potential management solutions.
The baseline of discussion was that GCC would demand at LEAST A MINIMUM of 40 percent reduction in harvest, and the elimination of the one oversized slot. If you listen to the podcast or watch Tony’s video, you’ll understand why the 35% baseline reduction is wholly inadequate. A 40% reduction cuts the recovery time almost in half compared to the baseline reduction. Proposals for a 50% reduction were also discussed, and we could certainly support that. However, we do need to endorse a proposal that has a very good chance of passing both the Wildlife Commission and Legislative Oversight Committee.
Here are some takeaways from this week’s meeting:
1. While there’s no consensus on any particular management solution, there is stronger support for a lower-size slot limit, e.g., 17-25 over 19-27 inches. Apparently many anglers prefer the “good eating sized” redfish to keep.
2. Anything less than 3 fish per day has very little chance of passing the Commission. However, just a two inch tightening of the slot could allow the creel to be 3 or 4 fish per day and meet our 40% reduction requirement. So it’s a balancing act.
3. I questioned why there was no proposal for having a one-fish-per-year oversized tag like Texas and Virginia have. Apparently there are legal obstacles.
4. Eliminating the guide’s catch. Even if applied to the conventional tackle guides who do this, would only result in a 1 percent reduction. Not enough to affect the SPR or recruitment, but we could still support this.
5. In our presentation on Conservation Topics in the Gulf Coast Council, we point out the red drum regulations for the 11 other states that manage this species. Three states have intense redfish stocking programs. The biologists and I agree this is NOT a solution at this time.
The GCC Board will have a couple meetings over the next few weeks to discuss options for an endorsed management plan for red drum. We’ll be discussing this issue with our conservation partners and hopefully come in with a united plan.
Charts: (l) Juvenile Escapement (r) Spawning Potential Ratio
