Why It Matters: The red snapper season in the South Atlantic lasted only 1 day in 2024, despite the highest abundance of red snapper anyone has ever seen in the region. While recent data indicates red snapper are no longer experiencing overfishing, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was disappointed to learn that a proposed amendment to how red snapper are managed in the South Atlantic would eliminate fishing opportunities for red snapper and all bottom fish for three months. Fortunately, a bill has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would put the brakes on any bottom closures in favor of better science.
Highlights:
- The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released a proposed Secretarial Amendment for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan in the South Atlantic that recognizes the red snapper population is in better shape than previously described while simultaneously seeking to eliminate substantial recreational fishing opportunities.
- The Red Snapper Act (H.R. 470) would prevent any bottom fishing closures until the results of an ongoing, in-depth, fishery-independent survey are incorporated into the next stock assessment.
Last week saw a flurry of activity around red snapper in the South Atlantic. On Tuesday, the NMFS published their anticipated proposal for Amendment 59 to the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that stemmed from a court settlement to end recreational overfishing of red snapper by June of 2025. While the proposed amendment contained some good news, not the least of which was NMFS’s acknowledgement that red snapper are not undergoing overfishing, it also proposes to close all fishing for 55 species in the Snapper-Grouper FMP for three months (December, January and February) in northeast Florida.
The proposed closure to bottom fishing by NMFS is anticipated to result in a 24% reduction in red snapper mortality from anglers normally fishing for other species and having to release red snapper, a percentage of which are estimated to die. With the population no longer considered overfished and the high recruitment in recent years to the population, NMFS is proposing to increase the red snapper annual catch limit and, accounting for release mortality in the other months, potentially expand the summer open season for red snapper by 5 – 8 days. However, a 6 – 9-day red snapper season seems like a difficult exchange to accept for not being able to fish for any popular reef species for 90 days. If the Amendment specifies that the science no longer considers the red snapper population overfished, then the question becomes why there is a need for the Amendment at all.
On Thursday, some Members of Congress responded. Representatives John Rutherford and Darren Soto, along with Senator Rick Scott in the Senate and several original co-sponsors, reintroduced the Red Snapper Act (H.R. 470) as a backstop to requiring bottom closures in favor of better science.
Currently, a Congressionally funded absolute abundance study similar to the Great Red Snapper Count in the Gulf of Mexico but using even more cutting-edge technologies is in the final stages. This unprecedented fishery-independent survey in the South Atlantic will provide a much more realistic estimate of red snapper abundance in the region. Results of that study are expected later this year. The Red Snapper Act would simply delay any unnecessary bottom closures until the results of that study are incorporated into the next red snapper stock assessment and management advice.
“We were glad to see NMFS recognized that the red snapper population continues to rebuild under current fishing effort and that the population is no longer overfished, further supporting our contention that a bottom fishing closure is completely unwarranted,” said CSF’s Senior Director of Fisheries Policy, Chris Horton. “We’re very thankful that Reps. Rutherford and Soto and Sen. Scott introduced the Red Snapper Act to prevent any drastic and unnecessary management decisions, like implementing bottom closures, until we have a true look at the population abundance from ongoing studies. The fishery continues to rapidly rebuild, and overfishing is no longer occurring, so the sky is not falling. In fact, it’s completely the opposite. “
The NMFS proposed Amendment 59 is now open for public comment through March 17, 2025. Anglers in the South Atlantic region are encouraged to provide comments on the Amendment and can do so here.
