The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council again will debate the issue and whether to ask state and federal governments to prohibit fishing for mutton snapper during the spawning season. The council briefly discussed the issue in June, but postponed having an in-depth discussion or making a recommendation until board members could hear from experts. The matter is on the council's Oct. 17 meeting agenda.

The federal government considers a species overfished and adjusts its fishery management plan when the fish population is less than 30 percent of its historical numbers. The mutton snapper population in the Keys is at 29 percent of its historical numbers, said Jerry Ault, a marine biologist with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Ault has conducted annual snapper counts and research in the Dry Tortugas since 1999.

There are three courses of action the state and federal fishery management councils could take to reduce the number of mutton snapper fishermen take, Ault said. Fishery managers could increase the size limit, reduce the bag limit from 10 to five, or prohibit fishing for them in June and July.

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