Alabama officials say new state statistics dispute federal estimates that led to restrictions on red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Alabama's Marine Resources Division says a state study determined that 418,000 pounds of the highly prized fish were caught in state waters through June 30.
That's only 40 percent of the 1.04 million pounds of red snapper estimated by the federal government's Marine Recreational Information Program.
Federal numbers from years past were used to impose a record-short season of nine days this year.
Gulf Coast states continue to push the federal government to extend the recreational season for catching snapper. The issue is important because tourists who go fishing spend millions on the coast.
