August 31, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
WHAT/WHEN:
The commercial harvest of red snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 5, 2020. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of red snapper is prohibited.
All harvest or possession of red snapper in or from federal waters is now prohibited, as the recreational fishing season is also closed for 2020.
WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
The 2020 commercial catch limit is 124,815 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit. According to the accountability measure, harvest should close to prevent the annual catch limit from being exceeded.
AFTER THE CLOSURE:
The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for red snapper does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. on September 5, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
Unless specified otherwise, commercial harvest will open on July 12, 2021, for the 2021 commercial fishing season.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1193.