FINAL RED SNAPPER COMMERCIAL LANDINGS DATA FOR 1998 SPRING QUOTA

April 27, 1998 - The final numbers are in for the Spring commercial red snapper season, which opened on February 1 and closed April 13. The total commercial catch was 3.12 million pounds, or about 102% of the 3.06 million pound Spring quota. Whether the commercial season reopens on September 1 for the remainder of the 4.65 million pound quota depends upon the effectiveness of shrimp trawl bycatch reduction devices (see story, below).

The 1998 red snapper commercial quota is 4.65 million pounds, subdivided into 3.06 million pounds under a February 1 opening, and 1.59 million pounds (or the remaining quota) under a September 1 opening. The commercial fishery is open the first 2 weeks of each month (noon on the 1st to noon on the 15th) until each sub-quota is reached. Because of the "derby" nature of this fishery, landings are monitored weekly through port agent reports. The table below shows the commercial red snapper landings data to date, as provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office.