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My assumption is that there is no exclusion from the required Reef Fish Endorsement for legal mangrove snapper caught inshore. So, if I and a couple of buddies boat fishing local back bays catch and keep legal mangroves, and we are checked by fisheries management, will we ALL be required to have purchased the Endorsement, regardless who actually caught the fish? Any opinions?
oops
That post was wrong, I forgot about the new endorsement.
The Reef Fish Endorsement will be required for any person possessing, taking or attempting to take any gulf reef fish species listed in Rule 220-3-.46 (see below). This endorsement is required for all resident and non-resident anglers 16 years of age and older, and includes disabled, veterans appreciation, 65 and older, lifetime license holders, pier licenses, annual saltwater licenses, trip licenses, commercial fishermen, and charter boats.
Gulf Reef Fish Species Listed in Rule 220-3-.46
You might avoid "possession" if everyone had their own cooler, but pretty hard sell that you were targeting a different species than others in the same boat. Too bad AL doesn't have a boat-operator level license covering all passengers.
When I was down back in mid-October, I ran into a game warden at Boggy Point Landing. We struck up a conversation as he was checking my licenses. He asked if I knew about the Reef Fish endorsement to which I said no and he replied to the effect of "I'm not surprised. They did a horrible job of writing that rule and even a worse job of communicating it." He said most game wardens and MRD officers were just warning/alerting folks who either had mangroves in their possession or were just fishing in the bays, inlets, and piers through then end of 2019. I guess they will start writing folks up now who don't have the endorsement. We had a good conversation for about 30 minutes and parted ways. I've always had a good interaction with MRD and ADCNR guys.