NOAA proposes fishing closure for 55 species off Florida Coast

Red snapper © Florida Sea Grant

NOAA Fisheries released Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic that would prohibit bottomfishing for 55 species, including red snapper, off much of the Florida Atlantic coast. This proposed Secretarial Amendment was prepared by NOAA Fisheries as part of a legal agreement that requires the agency to take action to end overfishing of red snapper in the South Atlantic.

However, NOAA Fisheries' proposed bottomfishing closure is unnecessary given the progress in rebuilding red snapper. A reanalysis of the status of Atlantic red snapper released by NOAA Fisheries alongside their proposal confirms the observations of countless anglers: Atlantic red snapper is no longer overfished. In Amendment 59, NOAA Fisheries also recommends changing how overfishing is measured for red snapper in recognition of the growth of the fishery and recent above average recruitment. The proposal would mean that Atlantic red snapper is also no longer undergoing overfishing - another point that has been argued by anglers and ASA in recent years.

While removing the overfished and undergoing overfishing designations for red snapper is a positive step, NOAA Fisheries' proposed bottomfishing closure is based on notoriously unreliable estimates of fish released by recreational anglers. During the proposed closures, all recreational hook-and-line fishing (including trolling) would be prohibited from December - February each year in federal waters from Cape Canaveral to the Florida / Georgia border. The 55 species to be closed include snappers, groupers, jacks, sea basses, porgies, triggerfish, as well as hogfish, tilefishes, and grunts.

"The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is deeply disappointed to see NOAA Fisheries propose this drastic action, which may cause irreparable economic damage to the coastal communities and businesses that rely on recreational fishing, as well as recreational fishing manufacturers and suppliers across the country" said Martha Guyas, Southeast Fisheries Policy Director for ASA.

NOAA Fisheries notes that the proposed bottomfishing closure is projected to yield a recreational harvest season for Atlantic red snapper of 5-9 days per year, up from a single day in 2024 and two days in 2023.

"A three-month bottomfishing closure for 55 species of reef fish in exchange for 5-9 days of red snapper season is not a good trade," added Guyas. "Given NOAA Fisheries' recognition that red snapper is no longer overfished or undergoing overfishing, an increase in the recreational season is certainly warranted. However, it is absurd to simultaneously propose drastic closures."

Over the past several years, an overwhelming number of public comments from anglers, discussions and decisions by the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAMFC), and recommendations from the SAFMC's own Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel have concluded that additional management measures to end overfishing of red snapper, especially large area closures, are not necessary.

In response to the proposed Amendment, ASA plans to work with Congress and the incoming Trump administration to prevent these unnecessary closures from taking effect.

Anglers and businesses will have the opportunity to provide public comment on the rulemaking until March 17th. In the coming days, ASA will share more resources on how you can help protect access to this economically and culturally important fishery.