Red Grouper Reallocation - News Stories

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

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

“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

“Amendment 53 is illegal — period.” - Buddy Guindon, Executive Director

May 17, 2022

"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

"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

"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

“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

“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

"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

“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

“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

"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

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

 "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

Commercial fishing is just as important to the gulf tourist economy as recreational fishing, even though the benefits are often overlooked.

July 8, 2021

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. 

 "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