Editor Notes
Table of Contents
FEATURES
26 Stealth Mode
Commentary by CCA Louisiana
Executive Director David Cresson
by Capt. JP Morel
32 Setting the Stage
by Jeff Bruhl
40 Trout Tactics
On the Cover:
by Ray Huntz
Jennifer Brunning
Photo by Capt. Casey Brunning
44 LA Fish Blog
w/Capt. Devin Denman
46 A Boy and his Dog
by Linda Cuccia
COLUMNS
Those Other Fish
Fishing Forecast
Fly Guy
Camp Cookin’
Coastal Concepts
Kayak Corner
Final Thought
Facebook Photo’s
Pg. 10
Pg. 14-17
Pg. 18
Pg. 18
Pg. 20
Pg. 24
Pg. 51
Pg. 52
Staff
Chris Tiblier
Publisher
Melanie Tiblier
Production Manager
Troy Tiblier
Editor
Ben Tiblier
Features Editor
Contributing Writers
Ray Huntz
Butch Thurmond
Capt. J.P. Morel
Capt. Charlie Thomason
Capt. Danny Wray
Dr. Nick Rauber
Capt. Ty Hibbs
John Manion
Capt. Casey Brunning
Mark Page
Chef Phil Farris
Capt. CT Williams
Linda Cuccia
Chris Schieble
Marsh & Bayou Outdoor News for Southeast
Louisiana is published monthly by Marsh and Bayou, P.O.
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The Coastal Conservation Association has always firmly believed our nation’s fish belong to
the public. The North American
model of wildlife and fish conservation requires our country’s fish
and game resources are managed
conservatively as a public trust. To
manage differently is literally unAmerican.
Failures in federal saltwater
fisheries management have been
eroding that model for decades
but it has never been damaged as
much as it has in the Gulf of Mexico the last 10 years.
A recent investigative article in
the New Orleans Times Picayune
and Mobile Press Register illustrates how much carnage the federal government and the
federally-guided Gulf of Mexico
Fisheries Management Council
have caused.
As the article details, a select
group of 50 commercial red snapper fishermen have become
wealthy by controlling 75 percent
of the commercially-harvested
Gulf snapper through a federallycreated Individual Fishing Quota
system or IFQ.
of fish.
These “Sea Lords,” a title
NOAA, the federal fisheries
used by federal officials, have bemanagement agency, has a councome multi-millionaires though a
cil seat. Rather than fixing IFQs, its
corrupted system. Environmental
regional administrator enthusiastigroups and a hand-picked set of
cally supports expanding them to
winners of the fishing Powerball
the recreational fishery by voting
believe it’s okay for these snapper
for programs allowing charter fishkingpins to keep their boats tied
ing IFQs. This has the
to the dock while sellpotential to put thouing the right to catch
sands of charter operthe fish to another
ators out of business –
harvester willing to
after all, consolidation
pay the price.
is the whole point of
Usually those willing
an IFQ system. That
to pay are small-operconsolidation is likely
ation commercial fishto be especially acute
ermen whose only
in Louisiana where
option is to give more David Cresson
small operators can’t
than half of what they
compete with the
make selling the fish
large party boats in Texas and
to the “lord” selling the access.
Florida.
What’s worse, more than 1000
Anglers wanting to catch
commercial harvesters were not
even allowed to vote for or against snapper and other reef fish on a
charter would be forced to buy acthe IFQ. Worse still, these fish becess from a charter Sea Lord. And
long to the public and the Sea
soon, as the big charter operators
Lords do not have to pay a cent
line up to follow the example set
for this control.
by the big commercial harvesters,
The article explains some
it’s possible fewer than 200 people
council appointees recognize the
could control nearly 75 percent of
system is broken. A handful of
all Gulf red snapper catches. This
overseers be