December 5, 2022 — With the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) meeting next week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received an update this week in Panama City on what remains the hottest topic — lack of access to the red snapper fishery.
There is some progress, however.
“According to a recent stock assessment, red snapper remains overfished and is undergoing overfishing, and this is driven by high recreational discards,” FWC Fisheries Management Director Jessica McCawley said.
“To end overfishing, the Council discussed several short-term options, including the closures that FWC has been opposing. The Council is moving forward, in the short term, with reducing the red snapper quota and implementing recreational gear modifications in order to reduce discards. They’re considering requiring single-hook rigs and no automatic reels.”
The Council is also working toward providing more outreach regarding best practices for returning fish to the water alive.