Recreational fishermen in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina were scheduled to begin the 62-day Atlantic red snapper season today. But this inauguration ceremony was prevented from taking place, after a court order in May ordered NOAA to revoke the state permit on June 29. For now, recreational red snapper harvest is closed in South Atlantic federal waters.
US District Court for the District of Columbia Exempt fishing permits stopped NOAA Fisheries issued the advisory on May 21 for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Those permits would have allowed participating private and hire fishermen to keep red snapper during a longer state-managed season in 2026.
Florida’s Atlantic season was scheduled to open on May 22. The Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina seasons were scheduled to run from July 1 to August 31. Georgia would have allowed one red snapper per person per day with no minimum size. South Carolina will allow one person per day per day with a minimum of 20 inches. North Carolina had a per capita and vessel-limit structure.
NOAA Fisheries later canceled All four states asked the agency to withdraw the state EFP. The agency said Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have expressed interest in submitting new applications. Any interesting openings will come through a separate notification. The South Atlantic commercial red snapper season is still scheduled to open July 13.
The plan was to have a longer season and better data
The permits were designed to test state-led red snapper management and collect better recreational harvest data. NOAA Fisheries stated that the EFPs were meant to improve information about recreational fishing effort and catches, while helping shape long-term state-led management strategies.
The pilot program would have given fishermen a longer season than the typical short federal opening. In return, participating states will require trip registration and catch reporting. of georgia proposed programFor example, travel registration and catch reporting will be required through the state’s VESL app.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the summer pilot season will not take place as planned because there is not enough time to complete the legal process before the July 1 start. The agency said it is working with partner states and federal officials on a revised permit application in anticipation of a potential fall season.
Why did the court stop the permit?
trial Challenged the permit under the Administrative Procedure Act. The plaintiffs, which included commercial fishing businesses, trade organizations, and individual commercial fishermen, argued that the permit would potentially allow overfishing of South Atlantic red snapper and conflict with the conservation requirements of the Magnuson–Stevens Act.
The court did not give a final verdict on the entire case. But Judge Rudolph Contreras found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits and said that NOAA Fisheries had acted capriciously and capriciously by failing to consider key parts of the problem.
The court also found a credible risk that an extended season could increase fishing mortality, contribute to overfishing and delay the red snapper reconstruction plan. This was enough to prevent the permits from taking effect while the lawsuit continued.
What can fishermen actually do now?
For now, the recreational harvest of red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters is closed. Blocked EFPs include Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the decision does not affect Florida’s Gulf private recreational red snapper season or Florida’s Atlantic state-water regulations.
Fishermen now have to sort out different things State, federal, Atlantic and Gulf regulations Before keeping the red snapper. If you’re fishing in the South Atlantic, check the latest state and NOAA fishing regulations before fishing. As of today, the big opener that anglers were hoping for in Georgia and the Carolinas on July 1 is not happening.
