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South Atlantic states offer hope for beleaguered red snapper fishery

NOAA Fisheries will open a 25-day period tomorrow for the public to comment on plans put forth by Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina to better manage the red snapper fishery in the South Atlantic. The plans – known as exempted fishing permits – have been developed by the individual states over the past year to collect more accurate data on recreational harvest and to allow the state to take on greater management responsibilities for the fishery going forward.

The announcement of the comment period on the state plans marks an encouraging new phase in efforts to revise mismanagement of the popular species, which has kept anglers tied to the dock while a thriving red snapper population swims just out of reach. For much of the last 20 years, the recreational red snapper fishery has been mired in controversy based in large part on highly suspect data gathered and manipulated by the federal government. Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has been actively supporting the state management approach as a remedy to chronic recreational data problems in the federal fisheries management system.

“No one was satisfied with the direction of red snapper management, and we are grateful that the states were not only open to exploring new options, but to making the investments to make these programs a reality,” said Ted Venker, CCA Conservation Director. “When it comes to budgets and adding personnel to do the job, those are not easy decisions for any state to make. We are confident that anglers will share our respect for the states in this undertaking and will support their efforts every way we can.”

In the agency’s release, NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs acknowledged the significance of the progress made to date.

“Today’s announcement underscores NOAA’s dedication to innovative harvest strategies that represent a bold new paradigm for coastal prosperity, aligning sustainable fisheries management with the president’s charge to revitalize the economic core of our coastal regions,” he said. “These state-led pilots have the potential to provide an important framework for improved data collection and enhanced management responsiveness, ensuring red snapper remains a cultural and economic cornerstone for the South Atlantic.”

The red snapper fishery has come under intense scrutiny in recent years as recreational fishing seasons have been limited to one or two days – and often closed entirely – despite the population being larger than time on record. The EFPs from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida outline state-based methodologies for improving recreational data and harvest access while still providing necessary conservation. It is expected that the South Atlantic states will be better able to closely monitor recreational harvest and tailor seasons to better fit local conditions.

“We are very excited about the opportunity these state-based management plans represent and we expect an outpouring of support from anglers,” said Bill Bird, chairman of CCA’s national Government Relations Committee. “The states have put a great deal of work into these plans, and we applaud their willingness to bring reliable data into management of red snapper. This is the moment to break from a chaotic past and chart a new future for angling in the South Atlantic.”

The request for public comment will be published in the Federal Register and CCA will be providing its members with more details on how to submit comments during the 25-day comment period. Click HERE to see NOAA’s release on the exempted fishing permits.