Summary: NOAA Fisheries has approved Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, granting recreational anglers extended fall red snapper seasons through October 22 and advancing state-led, science-based fisheries management.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) recently announced that exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications for red snapper in the South Atlantic from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have been approved!
The permits will exempt the applicable state agencies and participating fishermen from specific federal regulations applicable to the recreational harvest of red snapper, which allows the states to offer extended red snapper fishing seasons this fall.
“The approval of the EFPs for red snapper in the South Atlantic is a victory for science-based, cooperative fisheries management,” said Torin Miller, Associate Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have diligently shown that they are ready and able to take on an expanded role in managing red snapper in the South Atlantic. NOAA Fisheries recognition of that fact will benefit the fishery, recreational fishermen, and the economies both support for many years to come.”
Key Takeaways for South Atlantic Anglers
- Federal vs. State Limits: NOAA announced a federal three-day recreational red snapper season open October 9-11 – one day longer than last year.
- Extended Season Access: Approved recreational anglers in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina can continue fishing until October 22.
- Potential December Window: An additional December season remains a possibility, depending on the outcomes of the October seasons.
The approvals significantly expand access for anglers and advance conservation outcomes, fisheries management, and angler safety.
The Path to Approved Fall Permits
The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) submitted extensive comments to NOAA Fisheries urging the agency to approve the state EFPs. For years, SAF has been asking NOAA Fisheries to recognize that the current snapper management structure is not working and that the red snapper stock in the South Atlantic is strong, growing, and available for recreational harvest at levels greatly above those established in recent years.
Earlier this year, NOAA Fisheries approved EFPs for summer red snapper seasons, but the seasons were ultimately shot down in federal court. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina resubmitted EFP applications that addressed the court’s concerns. The renewed applications proposed fall red snapper recreational fishing opportunities that would provide a robust data set that will inform, and result in a real, positive management change for the red snapper fishery in the South Atlantic.
Protecting Our Fishing Heritage
SAF is monitoring legal actions that may result from the approved EFPs, and we stand ready to ensure that the red snapper fishery, recreational anglers, coastal economies, and science-based fisheries management are not hijacked by activists.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
