Single day South Atlantic Red Snapper Season reinforces need for substantial management changes

Red snapper © Florida Sea Grant

Recreational fishing access for the highly abundant red snapper fishery continues to be unnecessarily constrained by federal management.

Yesterday, NOAA Fisheries announced a one-day Atlantic recreational red snapper season for 2024, which will occur on Friday, July 12. The American Sportfishing Association is very disappointed with NOAA Fisheries' decision to once again reduce Atlantic red snapper harvest opportunities despite scientific evidence that red snapper are more abundant now than they have been in most people's lifetimes and that the fishery continues to improve ahead of expectations. In addition, NOAA Fisheries also announced a 25% cut to 2024 red snapper quota and that further measures to reduce access to Atlantic red snapper are being prepared by the agency.

ASA has long advocated that recreational harvest access to Atlantic red snapper should be increased to match the progress that has been made in rebuilding the fishery. ASA also believes that draconian measures to reduce access should be avoided, especially as ongoing efforts to improve data and management of red snapper are under way. It does not make sense to move forward with drastic measures that will have devastating impacts to the economy and recreational fishing while the Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count, exempted fishing permits, and other independent data collection efforts that will inform red snapper management are under way. Better data is critical to improving Atlantic red snapper management.