As Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ( TPWD ) discontinues its iSnapper app, anglers can now voluntarily report red snapper landings on the My Texas Hunt Harvest( MTHH ) app starting this month.
The Costal Fisheries Division of TPWD took over management of the iSnapper app from the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A & M Corpus Christi.
Anglers can now post volunteer flounder monitoring and other info to TPWD, as well as report their red fish catches from their phones in the same location where they keep their Red Drum tags.
According to Robin Riechers, Coastal Fisheries Director at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department( TPWD ), the red snapper fishery’s condition is determined using the most precise data available, including reports from iSnapper. To calculate red snapper landings and maintain the season available as long as possible while adhering to the NMFS quota, the app’s data is used in conjunction with our creel survey program. It made the most sense to shift the application under our control because TPWD manages the fish and uses the information. We also hope that by submitting more volunteer reports, we will be able to improve the usefulness of the information provided to TPWD.
By incorporating iSnapper functionality into the MTHH app, biologists can control the fishery by using voluntary angler reporting in conjunction with regular staff surveys.
Season dates and compliance with federal regulations are set by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s( NMFS ) red snapper harvest quota, which is set annually for each gulf state. It is the personal country’s duty to monitor landings and adhere to the quota once it has been set by NMFS.
The My Texas Hunt Harvest app supports electronic tagging of harvested deer, turkey, and large dark drum for certain license holders and allows electronic submission of required harvest reports, including alligator gar harvest reporting.
Online at outdoorannual.com or the Outdoor Annual mobile app, hunting and fishing regulations for the 2023 – 2024 season are available.