U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) recently recognized the progress of a bill aimed to protect Alabama's red snapper industry, relevant news for the No. 2 red snapper fishing spot in the Gulf, according to FishingBooker.

The Senate Commerce Committee has advanced the Illegal Red Snapper Enforcement Act, a bill sponsored by Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and co-sponsored by Britt and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), which would strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing activities.

In an article published earlier this year, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach were named the second-best red snapper fishing destination in the Gulf of Mexico for 2024 by FishingBooker, one of the country's largest platforms for booking fishing trips. The area, known as the "Red Snapper Capital of the World," boasts the largest artificial reef system in the U.S., drawing anglers to its productive waters during Alabama's red snapper season, which opened May 24 and runs every Friday through Monday until the private angler quota is projected to be met.

The bill mandates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) develop a standard methodology to identify the country of origin for red snapper imported into the United States. Though technology currently exists to chemically trace the geographic origin of various foods, such as strawberries and beef, there is no equivalent test for red snapper. This legislation would create a field test kit the U.S. Coast Guard could use to determine whether red snapper was caught in U.S. or Mexican waters. The goal is to empower federal and state law enforcement officers to intercept and confiscate illegally caught red snapper before it enters the U.S. market.

"Red snapper is a core component of Coastal Alabama's economy, and I'm proud to fight to protect our hardworking fishermen and food producers," Britt said in a news release. "This bill would combat malicious, illegal activity by cartel-backed poachers who are endangering the livelihoods of law-abiding Americans and encroaching on our territorial sovereignty. I'm thankful to Sen. Cruz for shepherding this important legislation to ensure fairness for U.S. fishermen and families through the Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. (Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer (D-NY) should now bring this commonsense legislation to the floor."

Each year, approximately 100,000 red snapper are harvested off Alabama's coast, accounting for nearly a third of the total recreational catch in the Gulf of Mexico. According to recent data, recreational and commercial fishing in Alabama supports over 12,000 jobs and contributes more than $1.1 billion annually to the state's economy.

However, the market has also attracted illegal fishing operations, particularly from Mexican fishermen who cross into U.S. waters on small boats known as "lanchas" to poach the fish. These illegally caught red snapper are often mixed with legally harvested fish and exported back into the U.S., making it difficult for law enforcement to distinguish between legal and illegal catches.

The issue is further complicated by the involvement of criminal cartels, which use the same fishing boats and networks to smuggle drugs and humans, supporters of the bill say. The profits from illegal red snapper fishing help finance these broader criminal enterprises.

If successful, the technology could also be applied to other species subject to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.