An Editorial By  Thomas J. Hilton
Oct 17, 2006

Let’s address the big scapegoat that everyone wants to blame; shrimper bycatch. In 1990, the Magnuson Stevens Act (The Act) mandated a 50% reduction in the bycatch volume. In the following years, there were modest reductions achieved through the use of BRD’s/TED’s and then came a 50% reduction from the 2001-2003 benchmark due mainly to the effects of foreign shrimp imports.  In 2005, the nation experienced the worst natural disaster in history with Hurricanes Rita and Katrina – there was another substantial reduction due to the destruction of much of the shrimp fleet.  So, the current reduction in effort due to economic and natural forces has resulted in a reduction of well over the mandated percentage of shrimp bycatch.  Yet, today we have Gulf Council members, environmentalists, and conservation organizations saying that nothing can be done until the shrimper bycatch issue has been resolved.   Puzzling.  In fact, one conservation.org is claiming on their website that; “Red snapper populations remain at a mere fraction of their natural levels as a result of shrimp trawl bycatch, which kills more than 80 percent of every year class of Gulf red snapper”.  I have to ask; If the natural mortality rate of 0-2 red snapper is already 80%, then how can the shrimpers take the blame for something already occurring naturally?  So, it is clear that even though shrimping effort (and thus bycatch) has been reduced dramatically, there will never be consensus regarding what is an acceptable amount of shrimping effort. One thing is clear however; shrimpers have the right to harvest the optimum yield of Gulf shrimp, otherwise the Magnuson Stevens (Section 201) opens the door for foreign shrimping vessels to ply our waters.  Amendment 13 delineates a cap of 2,200 vessel permits and is sitting on the Secretary’s desk awaiting his signature. This cap of 2,200 vessel permits is a level that we (and the snapper) can live with.  Couple this with pro-active mitigation activities, such as habitat creation designed specifically for the purpose of improving the survivability of the juvenile snapper, and we believe that shrimper bycatch can and will become a total non-factor in the management of Red Snapper. Development of Permit Reefing Areas where low topographical relief habitats consisting of shell substrate in combination with high relief habitats will result in astounding results if given the chance.  Since these areas would be free from trawling activities due to the possibility of losing nets, the immediate benefits would be;  1. These areas would allow snapper (plus shrimp, crabs, and other creatures) of which a percentage would have died as bycatch to live and thrive, and  2. Since 0-2 year old snapper have a very high natural mortality rate (about 80%) due to predators, the habitat provided will further increase their survivorship.

The bottom line: Quit beating a dead horse and establish a cap on shrimping effort, and move forward to focus on the REAL problems facing the red snapper today.