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Mullet Netters Hope Regulations Are Eased

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2008

Commercial mullet netters, who saw their catches cut more than 60 percent by the 1995 net-ban amendment, have requested that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ease harvest regulations now that the fish have recovered to healthy levels statewide.

The commission will review the request at a meeting next month in Panama City. If there are no roadblocks, the commission might begin the process of cutting back on weekend closures of mullet netting during the fall and winter spawn.

"State biologists feel that the mullet stock is healthy so long as we have a 35-percent spawning potential ratio, which is the ratio of eggs spawned from a fished population compared to the eggs spawned in an unfished population," commission spokesman Lee Schlesinger said. "In the most recent study, they found that the SPR is 42 percent on the east coast, 45 percent in the northwest and 49 percent along the southwest coast."

Schlesinger said opening one day of the weekend, or opening the weekends for only a limited part of the fall-winter spawn, would allow an increased catch for the netters without lowering the stocks below the 35-percent threshold, according to models prepared by the biologists.

However, he said fully removing the weekend closures year-round, as requested by commercial anglers, probably would drop stocks below the threshold over about seven years.

Recreational anglers and conservationists are a bit touchy about any relaxing of mullet netting restrictions after the momentous battles leading to the 1995 net ban.

"If we allow the door to open on this, it will be big trouble," Tampa conservation leader Lou Dombrova said. "Despite the netters, the legislators and FFWCC, the recreational fishermen of this state saved the mullet stocks through the net ban. Now, they have made up their mind that we have too many mullet. It's a horrible precedent."

Said Coastal Conservation Association director Ted Forsgren: "One thing that the commission has not looked at is the value of these mullet as forage fish to all the other marine species. Everything eats mullet - snook, reds, trout, tarpon, dolphin and wading birds. There needs to be a lot of excess mullet out there to supply all that."

Forsgren also said the commission will complete a more up-to-date study of mullet stocks this summer. He would like to see any change in regulations wait until the results of that study can be reviewed.

"The preliminary information is that the increase in stocks has leveled out in some areas," Forsgren said. "And if that's true, it means we are taking all the fish we should be taking in those areas right now, so adding a lot of weekend warriors to the net fleet may not be a great idea."

Schlesinger said estimates indicate pressure could increase about 20 percent with full opening of weekends.

Currently, commercial netters average around 8.3 million pounds of mullet annually, with recreational netters and anglers taking an added 1.8 million pounds. Most of the commercial catch is part of the roe mullet trade, with the eggs treated and shipped to the Orient.

Mullet live most of their lives in estuaries along the coast, with the numbers seemingly greatest from Tarpon Springs southward to the Everglades. The fish gather in enormous schools and travel far offshore to spawn, usually during winter cold fronts. They return to the coast immediately after dropping their eggs, but their value - for the roe and for the flesh - drops dramatically after the spawn. Currently, the fish sell for around 50 cents a pound. At the peak of the gill-net harvest prior to 1995, prices approached $1.50 per pound, and some netters made more than $10,000 in one night.

Commercial harvesting is done with a combination of small seine nets and cast nets, which considerably limits the catch.

"There would probably be some concern among commissioners about conflict among the user groups with weekend openings, too," Schlesinger said.

Prior to the net ban, net and flats anglers frequently butted heads as both fished the same shallow waters. Most of those conflicts gradually subsided without the netters visible on the weekends.

In any event, the commissioners will decide Feb. 7 to further consider the issue.

Commission staffers have tentatively scheduled workshops around the state anticipating a further review. The St. Petersburg session, Feb. 25, will be at the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, 100 Eighth Ave. SE, from 6-8 p.m.

ETC.: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd. in St. Petersburg, to consider reduction in harvest of gag grouper and other reef species.

For more information, call 1-888-833-1844 or visit www.gulfcouncil.org.

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