From the Mobile Press-Register...
National committee approves reduction of 2008 Gulf recreational window by 72 daysWednesday, January 30, 2008
By JEFF DUTE AND BEN RAINES
Staff Reporters New red snapper regulations that cut 72 days from the red snapper season and roughly 700,000 pounds from the recreational catch in the Gulf of Mexico will go into effect Feb. 28.
Instead of the April 21 through Oct. 31 season that fishermen have planned their vacations around for years, the 2008 snapper season will run for 122 days, from June 1 through Sept. 30.
The recreational total allowable catch is now set at 2.45 million pounds, down from 3.15 million last year.
The final rule issued Tuesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service also maintains the two-fish-per-person daily bag limit and the elimination of the captain and crew bag on for-hire vessels that were begun last year as part of an interim rule issued before the 2007 season.Click here to read the full article from the Mobile Press-Register.
