A ban on catching red snapper in federal waters off the Southeastern Atlantic Coast will continue indefinitely under a rule that took effect Friday; however, federal officials decided to delay for 180 days a much broader prohibition on dozens of other snapper and grouper species.
That was good news for local recreational fishermen and charter captains who faced a sweeping ban that would have put dozens of fish species off limits, effectively closing a large area off the Florida coast to bottom fishing.
"It's good news for now. We'll take it," local fishing captain Paul Nelson said. "It will really help the charter industry on the East Coast."
More importantly for commercial fishermen, the reason behind the delay gives them hope science may be swinging in their favor when it comes to the overall status of red snapper.
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