Red Snapper Regulatory Reform Act

Red Snapper Regulatory Reform Act

This bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to revise requirements on fishing and fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

The bill repeals a requirement that red snapper fishery management plans, plan amendments, or regulation submitted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council contain catch limits.

State jurisdiction over fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico is expanded to nine nautical miles.

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission must conduct all fishery stock assessments for fisheries managed under the Council's Reef Fish Management Plan. Stock assessments must: (1) incorporate fisheries survey information collected by universities; (2) use state, university, and private assets to conduct surveys; (3) incorporate surveys conducted on natural and artificial reefs; and (4) emphasize constituent and stakeholder participation in the development of the assessment.

The program created to improve the quality and accuracy of information generated by the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey must take into consideration all fishery effort data collection activities undertaken by the marine resources division of each relevant state of the Council.

Members of the Council are no longer appointed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.