The red snapper is just under halfway through a 27-year rebuilding plan, having been reduced to just 3 percent of historic levels by decades of overfishing. Even though the fish population is recovering, the rate of catch in the recreational sector is growing even more rapidly. Catch rates are two to three times higher than…
Plaintiffs Ocean Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund on behalf of their adversely affected members hereby challenge the unlawful decision of the National Marine Fisheries Service (“Fisheries Service” or “Defendants”) to promulgate and issue a Temporary Rule reopening the Gulf of Mexico private angler red snapper season and extending the season from three to 42 days, despite finding that the action will substantially exceed the annual catch limit set for the “private recreational sector”