Agency Modified Red Snapper Management Based on Feedback from SAF, Others
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced a final rule for Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. The final rule withdraws the proposed snapper-grouper “discard reduction season,” which was no more than a red herring for a recreational fishing closure for 55 species in the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery management unit (FMU).
NOAA originally claimed the “discard reduction season” would reduce red snapper dead discards and increase the recreational-fishing-season length. Thus, it proposed closing recreational fishing for the snapper-grouper FMU from December–February along one-third of Florida’s Atlantic coast. This section of Florida’s coast is the most popular recreational snapper-grouper fishery in the country, if not the world. The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) submitted extensive comments opposing the proposed rule’s management strategies, and due to overwhelming opposition, NOAA removed the discard reduction area closure and several other proposed actions from further consideration.
“The Sportsmen’s Alliance and many others made it loud and clear: red snapper in the South Atlantic are abundant, recreational fishing opportunities are absurdly limited, and significant overhauls to snapper management are needed,” said Torin Miller, associate litigation counsel for SAF. “Fortunately, NOAA has heard us. We’re pleased to see NOAA walk-back many negative ‘management’ strategies, and we’ll continue to advocate for durable, data-driven red snapper management in the South Atlantic.”
Certainly, changes to red snapper management in the South Atlantic are desperately needed. Ongoing data collection efforts will, and already have, shed new light on the status of the South Atlantic red snapper stock. Fortunately, NOAA has concluded that red snapper are no longer being “overfished” in the South Atlantic, but NMFS still labels the fishery as “rebuilding.” We continue to ask NOAA to consider more accurate and robust data – including state-collected data – and better data collection programs to make more-informed decisions, as required by law.
As part of the final rule, NOAA also announced the recreational fishing season for South Atlantic red snapper will be open for two days (July 11 and 12, 2025) – double the length of the 2024 season. While this represents a modest improvement for anglers, there’s much work to be done, and SAF will continue to engage with NOAA as it navigates red snapper management in future rulemakings.
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