NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Recreational and commercial boats must cut the
number of red snapper brought to shore and shrimpers must bring up
less in their trawls to keep one of the Gulf of Mexico's most popular
catches from dying out, federal regulators decided Thursday.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council reduced the recreational
catch limit from four fish to two per person, and set a limit for all
commercial boats at 5 million pounds for the year instead of 9.1
million pounds as in past years.

The two-fish recreational catch limit had already been put into effect
on a temporary basis this year. And the commercial catch had been put
at 6.5 million pounds before the current season began.

A federal judge struck down the previous red snapper plan earlier this
year because of a lawsuit filed by three conservation groups, saying
the plan was unlikely to rebuild the species by a 2032 deadline.
Regulators had until the end of this year to approve a new plan.