Red Grouper Reallocation - News Stories
US Federal Appeals Court Orders NOAA to Review Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Quota Allocations
"The court questioned whether Amendment 53 meets standards under federal fisheries management law – specifically National Standard 4 that "provides that the allocation of fishing privileges shall be 'reasonably calculated to promote conservation,'" as well as National Standard 9, which states that “to the extent practicable shall minimize bycatch and … to the extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such bycatch.’”
March 6, 2024
Court Finds Red Grouper Reallocation Was Flawed, Remands to NMFS
"Two years ago a coalition of commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico sued the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for reallocating red grouper fishing quota from the commercial sector to the recreational sector. "
March 4, 2024
Federal appeals court orders remand of red grouper allocations
"With the March 1 ruling, the appeals court “found that NMFS contradicted its own economic analysis, and failed to explain how the reallocation promoted conservation or minimized bycatch,” the fishermen’s groups said in a statement. “The court remanded the action to NMFS for further explanation.”
March 5, 2024
Commercial fishermen score partial win in challenge of federal red grouper catch limits
"The appellate court on Friday sided with the district court on affirming part of the basis behind Fisheries Service’s rule. However, it sent Amendment 53 back to the agency based on an economic analysis underlying the rule that the agency had previously rejected in 2016 when allocating the red snapper catch between the recreational and commercial fishing sectors."
March 4, 2024
District Court Hears Challenge to Federal Grouper Allocations
The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) supports the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance, Southern Offshore Fishing Association, and A.P. Bell Fish Company, who filed the suit, in their continuing efforts to challenge an unfair and unlawful decision by NOAA.
October 26, 2022
Gulf of Mexico charter captains wade into red grouper court case.
Commercial fishermen who are challenging a major shift of Gulf of Mexico red grouper quotas to the recreational sector have drawn the surprising support of charter boat operators, who argue the revised quotas would hurt their businesses as well.
September 8, 2022
Red grouper could be precedent for new Gulf catch reallocations.
Fishermen have more at stake than the cut in their grouper quota: NMFS and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council are already forging ahead with serial reallocations of other fisheries. The lawsuit may be their best, if not only, chance to stop them.
June 14, 2022
Gulf Coast commercial fishermen file lawsuit over new red grouper quotas.
“The big problem with the recreational sector is that they have a tremendous amount of discards.” - Frank Chivas, owner of Baystar Restaurant Group
May 23, 2022
Fight erupts over NOAA plan to change red grouper quotas
“Amendment 53 is illegal — period.” - Buddy Guindon, Executive Director
May 17, 2022
Commercial Fishermen, Other Members of Seafood Industry Challenging NOAA’s Red Grouper Reallocation
"The decision had commercial fishermen and others in the industry up in arms. But they’re not just sitting back. A lawsuit has been filed challenging the legality of the decision to reallocate the red grouper quota to recreational fishermen."
May 10, 2022
Commercial Fishers Challenge the Allocation of Red Grouper to Recreational Fishers
"The plaintiffs argue that by taking fish away from the commercial fishing sector and giving it away to recreational fishers, Amendment 53 will increase waste, reduce the amount of fish available for consumption and increase the risk of overfishing."
May 9, 2022
NOAA ruling on red grouper catch in the Gulf announced.
"A lose-lose-lose situation. Our businesses are taking a hit; seafood consumers are taking a hit; and the health of the red grouper stock is taking a hit. It's such a waste." - Jason DeLaCruz, Wild Seafood Co. John's Pass, FL
May 9, 2022
Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Supports Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful red Grouper Quotas.
“The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) supports the efforts by the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance, Southern Offshore Fishing Association, and A.P. Bell Fish Company to challenge this decision, in an effort to restore a fair allocation for commercial fishermen."
May 9, 2022
Florida red grouper quota reallocation angers commercial-fishing sector.
“The ostensible purpose of Amendment 53 is to account for new data from NOAA Fisheries....But instead of using these new data to spark a discussion about better management and more accountability...NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council chose to use these new data to literally ‘rewrite history’ to justify taking 32 percent of the commercial sector’s quota and giving it to the recreational sector.”
May 6, 2022
Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance: Statement on Red Grouper Quota Instability
"Reallocation to the recreational sector under Amendment 53 increases dead discards and commercial fishermen are forced to fish under a reduced catch limit to cover those discards. "
May 5, 2022
NOAA puts limit on red grouper harvest for commercial fishermen, prices may soon soar
“Because of this rule, commercial fishermen now get a smaller slice of a smaller pie when it comes to red grouper.” - Eric Brazer, Deputy Director
May 3, 2022
NOAA puts limit on red grouper harvest for commercial fishermen, prices may soon soar
“Because of this rule, commercial fishermen now get a smaller slice of a smaller pie when it comes to red grouper.” - Eric Brazer, Deputy Director
May 2, 2022
Gulf of Mexico fishermen, supporters organize to challenge red grouper reallocation
"NMFS public comment periods on the proposed change closed Feb. 18, and opponents poured in 2,850 comments against Amendment 53 – more than 99 percent of all comments, according to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance."
March 11, 2022
NMFS set to reduce red grouper quota for Gulf of Mexico commercial fishermen
Commercial interests will then have 30 days to file a complaint in federal court, where they hope to demonstrate that, among other things, Amendment 53 decreases fishery yields while increasing discards and risk of overfishing, violating National Standards 4 and 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
December 23, 2021
Gulf of Mexico commercial fisherman upset at red grouper allocation.
"Commercial fishermen are disappointed the council opted for a 'false promise of short-term gain' over sustained conservation." - Eric Brazer, Shareholders' Alliance Deputy Director
July 9, 2021
Restaurants need local fish, says seafood alliance.
Commercial fishing is just as important to the gulf tourist economy as recreational fishing, even though the benefits are often overlooked.
July 8, 2021
GCSA Calls on Federal Government to Preserve Red Grouper Access for All Americans
Commercial fishing is just as important to the Gulf tourist economy as recreational fishing, even though the benefits are often overlooked. If commercial fishermen can’t catch enough local species like grouper, the impacts will ripple through the critically important restaurant industry. Less grouper to catch means less grouper for restaurants, and that will inevitably lead to higher prices at the table.
Recreational quota grab sets dangerous precedent, gulf fleet warns.
"Taking 600,000 pounds of red grouper quota not only directly hurts hard-working American fishermen who rely on grouper for the businesses, but it also takes fish away from the American consumer who, through the covid-19 pandemic, proved that they are looking for more seafood and more domestic seafood.” - Bubba Cochrane, Shareholders' Alliance President
June 31, 2021
Shareholders' Alliance Statements on Red Grouper
Shareholders' Alliance Comment Letters
Organizations Opposed to Amendment 53
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