According to their newsletter, the SAFMC is going to vote in September to make descending devices mandatory for all fisherman targeting the snapper grouper complex. This would take effect in 2020. My question is would a homemade one meet the requirements, or do you have to purchase one from some preferred provider list. I just made one with a large stainless steel hook that I filed the garb off of. Gist of the article below:
"The Council is scheduled to approve measures through Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 29 during its September 2019 meeting. The Amendment aims to help ensure fishermen use Best Fishing Practices to improve the likelihood that released fish survive.
Reducing Mortality Due to Barotrauma
Regulatory Amendment 29 includes a regulation requiring a descending device be on board a vessel when fishing for or possessing snapper grouper species and that the device be rigged and ready for use. The requirement would apply to private recreational fishermen, for-hire/charter, and commercial fishermen.
A descending device is designed to assist a fish experiencing barotrauma get back down to depths where the conditions may be reversed as external water pressure increases. The fish’s swim bladder may expand as it is reeled up from deeper water, causing the fish to float on the surface once it is released. Other signs of barotrauma include stomachs protruding from the fish’s mouth, bulging eyes, and/or intestines extending from the anus. These conditions are most common in fish reeled up from depths greater than 90 feet and become more severe the greater the depth.
The use of a descending device helps improve survival of these fish by quickly returning them to depth. Reducing the number of “floaters” also makes the fish less vulnerable to predation. Studies conducted on red snapper demonstrated that the use of descending devices at 30 meters (98 feet) decreased release mortality from 33% to 0% and for fish released at 60 meters (197 feet) mortality was decreased from 83% to