Mississippi supports H.R. 3094, known as the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act.
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana sponsored the 16-page bill on July 16, 2015.
Gov. Phil Bryant sent a letter in support of Graves’ legislation to House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi after federal funding was stripped from the bill last month.
With the bill, the five Gulf states’ chief fish and wildlife officials will be in charge of red snapper management in federal waters.
“Recreational fishermen in every Gulf state need flexibility when it comes to fishing for red snapper,” Mississippi Department of Marine Resources chief scientific officer Kelly Lucas said. “In Mississippi, we believe that regional management would give our anglers the flexibility they want and need when fishing for red snapper.”
CCA Mississippi endorses the act.
