For the first time in years, you might be allowed to catch this fish in the Lowcountry again

For the first time in years, fishermen may soon be allowed to catch red snapper again.

The National Marine Fisheries Service recently announced a proposal to allow a limited red snapper fishing season this year through an emergency action.

The goal of the action is to “minimize adverse socioeconomic effects to fishermen and fishing communities that utilize red snapper as part of the snapper grouper fishery in 2017 while preventing overfishing from occurring and continuing to rebuild the stock,” according to the proposal from the fisheries service.

After data showed that the red snapper population in the South Atlantic was in danger, harvesting of the fish was closed from 2010 to 2017 — except for short seasons in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

In June, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council was presented with new data from the long-term Southeast Reef Fish Survey. The data indicated that the red snapper population has increased substantially since 2014, despite limited fishing seasons from 2012 to 2014 and the large number of dead discards since harvest restrictions were put into place in 2010.

David Harter, president of the Hilton Head Sports Fishing Club, said that one of the major issues that has complicated the red snapper fishery is the risk of mortality when releasing the fish.

“There’s a lot of red snapper out there. Fishermen say it’s hard to just keep them off their lines,” Harter said. “But where you catch (red snapper) is usually in deep water — 100 feet or more — and being able to pull them up from 100 feet and then get them back down successfully has always been difficult for fishermen.”

Harter said he personally doesn’t see any harm in opening up the harvesting season for red snapper with the proper catch limits and training for fishermen.

The National Marine Fisheries Service claims that allowing a limited harvest of red snapper is not expected to result in overfishing or prevent continued stock rebuilding.

Leda Cunningham, manager of ocean conservation in the U.S. South Atlantic for The Pew Charitable Trusts, disagrees.

“A decision to reopen red snapper fishing when the species is still recovering should not be rushed,” Cunningham said in a news release. “The council is poised to act without the advice of its scientific advisers. This is a risky move that could undermine the legal requirements to let science guide decisions about fish, and sets a dangerous precedent.”

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a special session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Town & Country Inn, at 2008 Savannah Highway, in Charleston to take public comments and address measures to allow the harvest of red snapper.

The council plans consider options to request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for a short red snapper harvesting season in October 2017, as well a determine an annual catch limit and limited season for red snapper in 2018.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 10:28 AM with the headline "For the first time in years, you might be allowed to catch this fish in the Lowcountry again."