The U.S. state of South Carolina has passed legislation setting a fishing season for red snapper and 54 other species in state waters to help state fishers avoid federal fishing restrictions.
“This new law reflects South Carolina’s commitment to commonsense, homegrown solutions,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said in signing the legislation into law. “Our anglers deserve a system that’s fair, science-driven, and tailored to our state’s unique waters, not a one-size-fits-all approach. With S. 219, we begin putting our state in the driver’s seat to manage our resources responsibly and protect access for current and future generations.”
Red snapper fishing in the Southern Atlantic has been a hot button issue for charter and commercial fishers. NOAA Fisheries has proposed severe restrictions on red snapper fishing after a government assessment concluded South Atlantic red snapper is subject to overfishing.
Federal regulators have severely curtailed red snapper fishing to address overfishing. Last year, NOAA Fisheries set a single-day recreational season and opened the commercial fishery for less than a month.
NOAA Fisheries was also required by a 2024 court settlement to implement a new red snapper fishery management plan, and it has held several hearings on its proposal ahead of its June 2025 deadline.
However, charter fishers contend that the data showing red snapper is overfished is outdated and doesn’t reflect the abundance they see in the water.
Lawmakers in Congress have attempted to block NOAA Fisheries from closing the fishery. Florida’s congressional delegation introduced the Red Snapper Act, which prevents NOAA Fisheries from making major changes to the fishery until the completion of the Great Red Snapper Count, an independent study of Red Snapper abundance funded by Congress. However, the legislation has not moved forward at the committee level in either the House or Senate since being introduced in January.
To avoid the new federal restrictions, South Carolina passed a law establishing fishing seasons, catch limits, and minimum size requirements for all 55 species included in the federal management plan. Importantly, the new regulations only apply to state waters up to 3 miles off the coast; federal waters will still fall under NOAA Fisheries’ forthcoming management plan.
“This law affirms South Carolina’s capacity to manage our state waters with precision and purpose and will assist the agency in expanding data collection efforts” South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Director Tom Mullikin said in a statement. “We are committed to developing and using locally informed science to create more fishing access while preserving marine ecosystems. This law is proof that conservation and access can go hand in hand.”
The legislation was backed by the South Carolina Boating & Fishing Alliance, the Center for Sportfishing Policy, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).
“This law marks a significant shift in how we manage our marine resources, moving away from overbearing federal oversight and towards local, science-based decision-making,” CCA South Carolina Executive Director Scott Whitaker said in a statement.
