Riley vows to fight for state's fishermen

Governor, conservation commissioner say Florida and Texas decisions on red snapper penalizing Alabama fishermen
Sunday, June 15, 2008
By JEFF DUTE
Outdoors Editor
ORANGE BEACH — While on an offshore fishing trip Friday, Gov. Bob Riley vowed to fight what he characterized as unfair federal management of red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico that is hurting Alabama anglers and the charter fishing fleet.

Riley said he is concerned about the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision not to directly penalize Florida and Texas despite those states' decisions not to adopt federal snapper management regulations in their state waters for the past two years.

When the NMFS reduced the red snapper bag limit to two fish per person per day last year, Florida, Texas and Alabama decided instead to maintain state daily bag limits at four fish.

Mobile Press-Register