June 15, 2015 — Despite a letter from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is not looking to extend the federal recreational red snapper season for 2015.
However, a vote to increase the length of the 2016 season is likely at the August meeting of Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council.
The organization that ultimately decides all federal regulations is the Fisheries Council, which includes representatives from each Gulf state. NOAA Southeast Regional Administrator Roy Crabtree predicted one of the items the council will vote on at its August meeting is moving 390,000 pounds of catching capacity from the commercial sector to recreational, thus extending the season.