How are red snapper harvests allocated between the commercial and recreational fisheries?
One early action in the effort to manage red snapper harvest established a criterion that remains in force to this day. In 1990 FMP Amendment 1 set the red snapper recreational/commercial catch allocation at 49%/51% based on 1979-1987 landings data. This allocation ratio remains unchanged, even though the directed fisheries have changed significantly over the subsequent years. Rapid growth of the recreational fishing sector occurred in the 1990’s during a period of economic growth; this was true especially in the for-hire or charter boat sector of the recreational fishery. For instance, catch data indicate that marine recreational fishing activity (number of fishing trips per year) increased by over 20% just in the years from 1996 to 2000, with nearly 1/3 of this growth occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, LDWF data show an increase of over 800% in Louisiana charter guide licenses between 1995 (when first required) and 2003. Most of these licenses are issued in the coastal pa
