South Atlantic States Submit Requests for State Management of Red Snapper

Last week, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina requested Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for red snapper off their respective coasts. These EFPs will help the states collect data on population health, fishing effort and discards and are the first step toward taking over management of this economically and culturally important fishery. 

Later in the week, the Congressional South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force, led by Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL), sent a letter to the Secretary of Commerce in support of the state EFP requests. 

Click the link below to read the press release and letter from the task force.

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White House Lifts IEEPA Reciprocal Tariffs on certain CAFTA-DR Qualifying Products from Guatemala & El Salvador 

The White House published separate Joint Statements on Frameworks for Agreements on Reciprocal Trade on November 13, with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Each outlines the key elements of the different Frameworks, including country-specific concessions given to the U.S., modifications to IEEPA reciprocal tariffs, and potential changes to Section 232 tariffs. 

A firm timeline for finalization and implementation of each agreement was not provided, but sources suggest they may emerge in the next couple weeks. Similarly, none of the Joint Statements included specific product lists of impacted HTS subheadings.

Click below to read a story on this development from Reuters.

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House Natural Resources Committee to Hear Two Priority Sportfishing Bills on November 19

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will host a hearing on November 19 to discuss two priority sportfishing industry bills: (H.R. 1514) The Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission Act and (H.R. 5699) The Fisheries Data Modernization and Accuracy Act of 2025.

The former will provide crucial, coordinated support for state fish and wildlife agencies managing and restoring the Basin's recreational fisheries. The latter proposes to advance reforms of the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) for better management through improved data collection.

Click the link below to tune into the hearing live on Wednesday at 10:00 AM ET. 

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ASA Supports Right to Fish and Hunt Amendment in Ohio

Senate Joint Resolution 8 (SJR8) would clear the way for Ohio voters to codify the right to Fish and Hunt in the states constitution next November. If passed, Ohio would become the 27th state to cement the right to fish and the 25th state to protect the right to hunt. 

The Buckeye State is home to 1.7 million anglers who spend more than $5.5 billion on recreational fishing each year and support 34,000 jobs. Click the link below to read our full letter of support for SJR8. 
 
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