November 2, 1999 (MASGP-99-001-(11)
RED SNAPPER UPDATE
The commercial fishery for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico federal waters will close on November 5th, 1999 when the fall quota of 1.58 million pounds is reached. The fishery will remain closed until February 1, 2000. The 1999 commercial quota for Gulf red snapper was 4.65 million pounds. About 3.07 million pounds of red snapper were caught in the 1999 spring commercial season. During the 1999 fall season (which began September 1), the fishery was open for the first 10 days of each month. Preliminary landing data indicate that about 750,000 pounds were landed in September and 312,0000 pounds were landed in October, most of which came from the central Gulf. This left only about 170,000 pounds of the commercial red snapper quota available for harvest in November, hence the shortened opening. The recreational red snapper season is slated to open on January 1, 2000. New recreational regulations include a zero bag limit for the captain and crew of for-hire vessels, and a 15 inch total length minimum size limit. However, red snapper regulatory measures for 2000 will be reconsidered by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council after a review of a new stock assessment at its November 8-11, 1999 meeting.
2000 TIDE TABLES AVAILABLE
The 2000 Mississippi Tide Tables are available free from this office. Call or write and we'll put one in the mail for you. You can also stop by and pick one up here at the office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. They are also available on line at http://ext.msstate.edu/pubs/pub850.htm.
MORATORIUM ON CHARTER VESSEL/HEADBOAT PERMITS CONSIDERED
A large portion of recreational fishing effort in the Gulf of Mexico region can be attributed to the for-hire segment of the fishery. There are presently 1,286 charter vessels and 91 headboats in the Gulf region. This represents an estimated 32 percent increase in the number of charter vessels and a 6 percent decrease in the number of headboats between 1988 and 1998. Additionally, the number of charter vessel trips has increased 187 percent between 1988 and 1997.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) is considering implementation of a temporary moratorium on the issuance of charter vessel/headboat permits. This move is intended to temporarily stabilize fishing effort while the Council develops a more comprehensive effort limitation program. The proposed moratorium considers six features: 1)the duration of the moratorium; 2) initial eligibility requirements for permit; 3) permit transfers during the moratorium; 4) vessel size for permit transfer; 5) the reissuance of permits not renewed; and 6) an appeal process. At present, the Council has suggested the following preferred alternatives:
$ Establish a 3-year moratorium duration;
$ For initial eligibility requirements, all persons holding permits on September 16, 1999 are eligible;
$ Permit transfers during the moratorium be allowed between 1) vessels owned by the permit holder and 2) individuals without transfer of the vessel;
$ Permits not renewed (or permanently revoked) will not be reissued by NMFS during the moratorium.
A public hearing on this proposal will be held in Biloxi on Monday, December 13, 1999 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Although the exact location for the hearing has not been determined as we go to press, the most likely hearing location will be the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center. (Source: Gulf Fishery News Vol. 21, No. 4, August-September, 1999)
JUDGE, CITING U.S. AGENCIES, TO LEVEL INJUNCTION ON LONGLINERS
On October 28, 1999 a U.S. district judge in Hawaii ruled that federal agencies violated environmental laws by allowing Hawaii-based longliners to fish without first preparing an environmental impact statement. The judge, David Ezra, said that the National Maine Fisheries Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Commerce Secretary William Daley violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not preparing such a statement and that a "carefully tailored injunction" was in order until one was filed. The federal agencies said the longliners should be allowed to continue fishing during the two years it will take them to prepare the statement. Ezra, who said that longliners have caught hundreds of threatened and endangered sea turtles and described the harm to them as "incalculable," wants the parties to the suit to discuss terms of the injunction before he drafts his final order. The original lawsuit was filed in February, 1999 by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project and the Center for Marine Conservation.
AQUACULTURE FACILITIES TURN TO DOGS TO PROTECT FISH
The newest employee at Florida Fish Farms works like a dog. In fact, Cabo is a dog, a 2-year-old Border collie specifically trained to chase birds away from aquaculture ponds. His owners believe Cabo may be the first dog in the United States to be used in a bird reduction program at a commercial aquaculture facility. Aquaculturists report that fish-eating birds cause significant economic losses annually; Florida Fish Farms estimates its losses to birds at $100,000 a year. Because Cabo runs at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, he is perceived as a stealth predator by the birds and they do not become desensitized to him as they do other methods of bird harassment, say trainers. Border Collie Rescue, a national non-profit organization, says a single Border collie and a handler can easily maintain a 2-square-mile area, which is one reason Border collies are the fastest-growing and most popular form of bird control on golf courses, airports and other venues. Trainers teach owners how to use a herding whistle and verbal commands to guide the dogs. (Source: Fisheries Vol. 24, No. 11, November 1999)
UNCLE DAVE'S CORNER
If you ask any marine mechanic what the primary cause for engine trouble is, you will invariably get the same answer -- fuel and fuel systems. This is particularly true for two-cycle outboard engines. Fuel that sits unused in fuel tanks for any length of time deteriorates due to oxidation. This is usually not a problem during the peak boating season when we use our boats often enough to insure that fresh fuel is being burned in our engines. However, during this time of year it seems that our days off coincide with the passage of windy fronts which keep our boats on the trailer or tied up at the dock for weeks without use. This is when it becomes very important to care for our boat's fuel. The first thing you can do is use a fuel stabilizer additive. Although this will not improve fuel which has already started to deteriorate, it will help preserve the freshness of new fuel added to the tank. I also recommend not keeping any more fuel than you think you will use within a month in your tank. Those of us who like to monitor our gallons per hour fuel consumption will have to keep track of the gallons we add during this time of year and then complete our calculations in the spring when we completely fill the tank for the first time. You can prevent potential problems with condensation and associated water contamination in your unfilled fuel tank by placing a piece of tape over the fuel vent during prolonged periods of non-use of your boat (just remember to remove the tape when you start the engine).
If you have failed to take any of these precautions and you think your fuel is suspect after being in the tank for a long period of time, DO NOT USE IT IN YOUR OUTBOARD ENGINE! Here's an environmentally-friendly way to deal with suspect fuel. Siphon it out of your fuel tank, combine it by a factor of two-to-one with good fresh fuel (2 parts fresh to 1 part old), and burn it in your automobile. If your boat does not have oil injection and you pre-mix the fuel in your tank with 2-cycle oil, increase the fresh fuel ratio to three to one (or higher).
_______________________________________________________________ This information was compiled by Dave Burrage, Benedict Posadas, and C. David Veal. For more information, contact our office at 2710 Beach Blvd., Suite 1-E, Biloxi, MS 39531 or telephone (228) 388-4710.