January 24, 2025 — Two Florida Congressmen — a Republican and a Democrat — and the state’s now-senior U.S. senator want to throw a bone to red snapper anglers off the Atlantic coast.
Rep. John Rutherford, R-Jacksonville, Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, and Republican Sen. Rick Scott have introduced the Red Snapper Act to stop the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from “unilaterally closing the red snapper fishery in the South Atlantic until reliable and accurate data” is gathered from an independent study entitled the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count.
According to a news release from Rutherford’s office, over the past decade, charter captains, anglers and businesses have successfully replaced the red snapper stock.
Rutherford described last summer’s one-day season of red snapper fishing as “a confounding, ridiculous, draconian measure that greatly affected local economies and livelihoods,” including in St. Augustine.
“Anglers are seeing more red snapper off the coast of Northeast Florida than ever before,” he said in the release. “Widespread bottom closures that threaten Northeast Florida’s fishing economy are not the answer. Accurate data that helps produce informed policy is.”