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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 25
BY SENATORS ALLAIN, ADLEY, ALARIO, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAITOR, CORTEZ, CROWE, ERDEY,
GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, MARTINY, MILLS,
MORRELL, MORRISH, MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY,
RISER, GARY SMITH, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD,
WHITE AND LONG
CONGRESS. Memorializes Congress and requests the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of
Commerce to take such action as necessary to require the regional administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional
Office and his scientists to attend a meeting of the Louisiana Senate Committee on Natural
Resources and provide information on the red snapper season.
A RESOLUTION1
To memorialize the Congress of the United States and request the secretary of the United2
States Department of Commerce to take such action as necessary to require the3
regional administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration4
Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional Office and his scientists to attend a meeting5
of the Louisiana Senate Committee on Natural Resources, on a date that is6
convenient for the parties during the month of April or the first week of May, to7
provide information on the red snapper season.8
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the National Marine Fisheries Service, an9
agency in the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, through the Gulf10
of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, to manage and regulate marine species located11
in the Gulf of Mexico; and12
WHEREAS, such management and regulation includes a determination of the13
sustainability of each species and preservation of the sustainability through the setting of14
take limits, individual fishing quotas, and opening and closing seasons; and15
WHEREAS, on March 25, 2013, a temporary emergency rule was published in the16
Federal Register that gives the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)17
Fisheries Services the authority to set separate closure dates for the recreational red snapper18 SR NO. 25
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season in federal waters off the individual Gulf of Mexico states; and1
WHEREAS, the closure dates will depend on whether state regulations are consistent2
with federal regulations for the recreational red snapper season length or bag limit; and3
WHEREAS, the federal recreational season for Gulf of Mexico red snapper begins4
June 1 each year with a two-fish bag limit and the length of the season is determined by the5
amount of the quota, the average weight of fish landed, and the estimated catch rates over6
time; and7
WHEREAS, since NOAA Fisheries is responsible for ensuring that the entire8
recreational harvest, including harvest in state waters, does not exceed the recreational quota,9
then if states establish a longer season or a larger bag limit for state waters than the federal10
regulations allow in federal waters, the federal season must be adjusted to account for the11
additional harvest expected in state waters; and12
WHEREAS, if all states were to implement consistent regulations, the 201313
recreational season would be twenty-eight days, assuming the recreational quota is increased14
to 4.145 million pounds through separate rule-making; and15
WHEREAS, in addition to Louisiana, the states of Texas and Florida have indicated16
to NOAA Fisheries that they will implement inconsistent red snapper regulations for their17
state waters; and 18
WHEREAS, without this emergency rule, the 2013 federal season would be reduced19
to twenty-two days to compensate for that additional expected harvest; and20
WHEREAS, this emergency rule allows NOAA Fisheries to calculate the recreational21
red snapper fishing season separately in the exclusive economic zone off each state to22
account for any inconsistency of regulations in state waters; and 23
WHEREAS, based on the expected regulations for Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, the24
preliminary season lengths would be as follows: Texas, twelve days; Louisiana, nine days;25
Mississippi and Alabama, twenty-eight days; and Florida, twenty-one days; and26
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2013, Louisiana implemented a weekend-only27
recreational red snapper season that will end on September 30, with a recreational bag limit28
of three fish per day at a sixteen-inch minimum; and29
WHEREAS, the regional administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric30 SR NO. 25
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Administration Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional Office and his scientists can provide1
information on the following issues: (1) emergency rule on the recreational closure authority2
specific to federal waters off individual states for the recreational red snapper component of3
the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery; (2) methodology for determination of the length,4
allocations, and quotas for the red snapper season; (3) plans for the future allocations and5
quotas of red snapper; (4) update on the regional and Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock6
assessments on natural and artificial habitats; (5) relationship of size of quota to recovery7
of red snapper fisheries; (6) general conditions and health of red snapper fisheries and8
projections for future; and (7) requirements in order for Louisiana to get additional9
allocations or quotas based on Louisiana's management and growth of the red snapper10
fisheries.11
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes12
the Congress of the United States and requests the secretary of the United States Department13
of Commerce to take such action as necessary to require the regional administrator of the14
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional15
Office and his scientists to attend a meeting of the Louisiana Senate Committee on Natural16
Resources, on a date that is convenient for the parties during the month of April or the first17
week of May, to provide information on the red snapper season.18
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted19
to the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of20
Representatives, to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress,21
to the secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, and the regional22
administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service's23
Southeast Regional Office.24
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by J. W. Wiley.
DIGEST
Allain SR No. 25
Memorializes Congress and requests the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce to take
such action as necessary to require the regional administrator of the NOAA Fisheries
Service's Southeast Regional Office and his scientists to attend a meeting of the Louisiana
Senate Committee on Natural Resources and provide information on the red snapper season.