Under proposal, redfish harvest would resume in Gulf

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It's quaint now to think of how popular blackened redfish was back in the 1980s. Legendary New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme got a cast-iron pan white-hot, covered a redfish fillet with butter and spices and introduced the world to a happy marriage of taste and texture.
In just a few years, stocks crashed, and to save the species, the federal government had to ban all redfish harvest in the waters under its control.
But that may be about to change.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking public comment on a proposal to open redfish harvest in federal waters to the Mississippi guide fleet.
Under the plan, proposed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, each angler fishing federal waters with a licensed charter captain would be allowed one redfish per day measuring at least 18 inches in length. There would be no maximum size limit.
“This two-year study would collect biological information on offshore red drum to aid biologists in assessing the status of the population in a future stock assessment,” NOAA said in a release.
That sounds good and wholesome, but David Cresson, executive director of the Louisiana branch of the Coastal Conservation Association, says the proposal opens a Pandora’s box that his organization hoped had been closed three decades ago.
NOAA will accept public comment through April 23. Those looking to express their opinions may email 0648.XD816.Red.Drum.EFP@noaa.gov.
The agency asks that "Red Drum EFP" be included in the subject line.
Written comments may be sent to Steve Branstetter, NOAA Fisheries, 263 13th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.