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Act Now to Save Red Snapper

Target: Peter Hood; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Sponsored by: The Ocean Conservancy

Contrary to what your mother told you, there are only so many fish in the sea. And, while most people recognize that the ocean's bounty is central to our very survival, we have too often failed to recognize that ocean resources are finite. They can be exhausted.

Without immediate action, red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico face further depletion that jeopardizes the long-term health of this signature fish population.

For over two decades Gulf fishery managers, whose responsibility it is to protect and sustain our fish populations, have ignored science and repeatedly set catch levels too high. As a result, the spawning population of Gulf red snapper is down to 3% of its historic abundance.

In early June, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council adopt new measures for red snapper, and time is running out to get the plan right.

Tell the Fish Management Council to work aggressively to end overfishing of red snapper and to rebuild the population as quickly as possible.

deadline: 5-28-2007
goal: 10,000

15,560
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Success! Because of the Ocean Conservancy's hard work and dedicated people like you, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council adopted a plan to set a science-based catch limit for red snapper. Thank you! Please click here for more petitions.

I am deeply concerned about the health of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. Red snapper is vitally important to the ocean ecosystem and the fishing communities that depend on them. Failure to stop the depletion of red snapper poses threats for the fish, fishermen, consumers and coastal economies.

As an Ocean Conservancy supporter, I write to urge the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to implement management measures in Amendments 27 & 14 (as part of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, or "DSEIS") that will end the overfishing of red snapper and rebuild red snapper as quickly as possible.

In order to restore the health of the Gulf red snapper population, I urge you to adopt measures that: (1) set a scientifically based catch limit that will end overfishing by 2009 and rebuild red snapper as soon as possible; (2) greatly reduce bycatch in the red snapper fishery, as well as bycatch from shrimp trawls to levels necessary to end overfishing and restore red snapper; (3) enforce catch and bycatch limits so that they are not exceeded as they have been in the past; and (4) provide economic incentives for fishermen to achieve conservation benefits.

Continued overfishing of red snapper is bad for the Gulf ecosystem and bad for fishing communities reliant on sustainable fishing which healthy stocks can provide. As stewards of our natural resources, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has the responsibility to use sound, science-based catch levels and other conservation measures to ensure a healthy and productive Gulf ecosystem. Please uphold your duty as stewards of our fisheries by taking action now to restore red snapper to healthy levels.

Sincerely,
/Your Name/
/Your Address/
/Your City, State, Zip/

We signed the “Act Now to Save Red Snapper” petition!

# 450:

2:02 pm PDT, May 18, Cathy Johnston, California

# 449:

2:02 pm PDT, May 18, Julie Clark, Florida

# 448:

2:02 pm PDT, May 18, Andrea Anderson, California

# 447:

2:02 pm PDT, May 18, Peter Chesson, Arizona

# 446:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Name not displayed, Washington

# 445:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Terri Karnessis, New York
No one cares anymore that there is a whole earth left for our children's children's children, only what money can be made right now, today. Sad!

# 444:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Richard Schwartz, California

# 443:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Name not displayed, California
I am very concerned about the plight of our planet's water inhabitants, particularly the red snapper species. Overfishing can be controlled. Please work to remedy the situation.

# 442:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Robin Fox, New York

# 441:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Satya Lemay, California

# 440:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Willard Clay, Illinois

# 439:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Anna Greenly, Colorado

# 438:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Steven Jacquier, Alaska
From the arctic to the tropics fisheries management must be predicated upon sustainable yeild; not following the most conservative strategies always ends in resource depletion and associated market losses (not to mention environmental degredation and loss of species diversity/ecosystem resilience). Do not be stupid. Stop mis-managing this resource!

# 437:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Guthrie Schrengohst, Washington

# 436:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, James W. Hunt, California

# 435:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Erik Wilson, Washington

# 434:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, William Weiswasser, Michigan

# 433:

2:01 pm PDT, May 18, Tracey Robertson, Alabama

# 432:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, RM Merrill, Connecticut

# 431:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Arla Webb, Washington

# 430:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Mary McElheny, Michigan

# 429:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Shonessi Tracy, Nebraska

# 428:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Daniel & Gayle Rogalski, Florida

# 427:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, James Zitis, Florida

# 426:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Cheryl Williams, Georgia
To quote - "Extinction is forever"!

# 425:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Andy Lewis, Illinois

# 424:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Karen Meth, New York

# 423:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Patricia Monsour, Arizona
Please refrain from over fishing.

# 422:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Natalie Hutchins, California

# 421:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Darria O'Brien, New York

# 420:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Tammy Luckhardt, Indiana

# 419:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Kate Cloud, Massachusetts

# 418:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Geraldine Brady, Pennsylvania

# 417:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, D C, California

# 416:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Devon Van Alyne, New York

# 415:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Name not displayed, Texas

# 414:

2:00 pm PDT, May 18, Michele Glick, California

# 413:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Alexis Mohr, New York

# 412:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Name not displayed, New York

# 411:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Linda Cave, Connecticut

# 410:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Ann M. L. Johnson, Colorado
Take care of the food supply that is so vital to our lives on this planet and stop the overfishing of the Red Snapper and all of our fish brothers and sisters.

# 409:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Susan Diego Maier, California

# 408:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Mike Donohue, Vermont

# 407:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Jesse Williams, Colorado

# 406:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Lauren Walker, New Hampshire

# 405:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Ian N. Smith-Parker, Louisiana

# 404:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Terza Ekholm, Colorado

# 403:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Bobby Cosgrove, Michigan

# 402:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Donna Bonetti, Colorado

# 401:

1:59 pm PDT, May 18, Judith S. Sellars, New Mexico

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