Federal lawmakers from the U.S. state of Florida have introduced legislation to block NOAA Fisheries from closing the recreational South Atlantic red snapper fishery for three months of the year.
“Florida’s fishing industry is a multi-billion dollar economic driver in our state, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and attracting visitors to communities along our coast,” U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) said in a statement. “We’ve made great strides in Florida to ensure our natural resources are preserved and protected for years to come, including rebuilding the Red Snapper population. I’m proud to work with [U.S. Representative John Rutherford (R-Florida)] on the Red Snapper Act to support our state’s commercial and recreational fishing industry and ensure their success isn’t limited by federal government’s outdated data and regulations.”
Red snapper fishers and members have Congress have battled federal regulators over management of the South Atlantic red snapper fishery. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council first received notification of overfishing of red snapper in 2021, but fishers have argued that the data the government relies on is flawed and doesn’t accurately show the abundance of red snappers in the region. A December 2024 government assessment found that the species is still subject to overfishing.
Faced with inaction from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, conservation groups sued NOAA Fisheries to force the agency to implement a new red snapper fishery management plan. In August 2024, NOAA Fisheries agreed to a settlement that requires the agency to finalize a management plan by 6 June 2025.
NOAA Fisheries has since begun work on that, and among the changes being considered is a discard reduction season that would prohibit recreational fishers from harvesting red snappers from December through February.
According to NOAA Fisheries, 98 percent of red snapper discard mortalities from 2021-2023 came from the recreational sector.
“The current level of discards is resulting in less younger fish, which are more abundant, surviving to the older ages necessary to sustain the population in the long term, particularly if recruitment decreases back to more historical levels,” the agency noted in a filing in the federal register. “Additionally, the high level of mortality from discards is reducing and limiting the amount of landed catch.”
The agency claims the measure would reduce dead discards by 24 percent.
Florida lawmakers in Congress responded to the proposal by introducing the Red Snapper Act, which would prevent NOAA Fisheries from making any major changes to the red snapper fishery until the completion of the Great Red Snapper Count, an independent, Congressionally-funded study that recreational fishers believe will show far greater abundance of red snapper than official estimates.
“We have ample data showing that red snapper seasons help support coastal economies and the national economy overall – especially in Florida,” U.S. Representative Darren Soto (D-Florida), one of the cosponsors of the bill, said in a statement. “It is critical for NOAA to review results from the ongoing independent study to ensure the livelihoods of our coastal communities are not threatened. We hope that our colleagues in the House and Senate pass this bill swiftly and send it to the president’s desk.”
The count is expected to deliver new data in 2025.
“For over a decade, the South Atlantic fishing community has worked hard to rebuild the red snapper stock, a highly sought after reef fish that plays an integral role in our local economy,” Rutherford said in a statement. “Thanks to their concerted efforts, anglers are seeing more red snapper off the coast of Northeast Florida than ever before.”
The bill has been backed by the recreational red snapper fishing community, with the American Sportfishing Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Center for Sportfishing Policy, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission endorsing it.
“Widespread bottom closures that threaten Northeast Florida’s fishing economy are not the answer. Accurate data that helps produce informed policy is,” Rutherford said.
NOAA Fisheries has scheduled five public hearings in February and March to gather feedback on its proposal. Public comment on the amendment is open through 17 March 2025.
