Saving Seafood

Fishermen prepared for the longest red snapper season in recent memory. A court order stopped it

June 5, 2026 — Miles from shore, Chris Kemp pumps and reels as he battles a fish 150 feet below. Eventually, it gives up, and the 10-pound red snapper is hauled aboard the Jodie Lynn II.

There’s barely time to rejoice. As Kemp raises his trophy for a picture, the charter boat’s captain rushes over and then drives a knifelike tool into the fish’s gas-filled bladder. The procedure, required by federal law, is intended to improve the fish’s chances of survival after release.

“Send it overboard,” orders the captain. And with that, Kemp’s hopes of bringing the fish home to eat was lost.

Recreational fishermen like Kemp are pitched against commercial fishermen and environmentalists in a legal dispute that has halted what was expected to be the longest snapper season in years, reflecting broader tensions over the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen fishing rules and deregulate the seas.

As part of those efforts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in May exempted states from some restrictions under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the landmark law that guides fisheries management. But the decision was halted at the last minute by a federal judge in Washington who blocked the plan.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

FLORIDA: All snapped up, Destin charter fleet kicks off red snapper season

June 3, 2026 — One down, 146 more to go.

June 1 marked the start of the red snapper fishing season, and anglers came from near and far to take advantage of the kickoff.

Back in April, the NOAA Fisheries announced the red snapper season for vessels with a federal for-hire reef fish permit, which is the majority of the Destin charter fleet, would be 147 days. The season, which is 19 days longer than last year, started June 1 and closes at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 26.

Read the full article at The Destin Log

WHY DID A COURT DECIDE TO ENJOIN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC RED SNAPPER EFPS?

June 1, 2026 — Bottom fishermen throughout eastern Florida felt growing excitement as Memorial Day weekend approached, and the state’s anticipated 39-day South Atlantic red snapper season.

For well over a decade, there had been few opportunities for anglers to target red snapper.  The fish were abundant and willing to bite, and It turned out that was a problem, because recreational fishermen kept catching, and unintentionally killing, red snapper while fishing for other species, even when the red snapper season was closed.  Things got so bad that, out of the 509,000-fish annual catch limit, 475,000 were allocated to dead discards (almost all of which were generated by anglers), while just 22,797 were set aside for anglers to keep and take home, with the remainder allocated to the commercial fishery.

Because they never managed to get their dead discards under control, the recreational red snapper season could only be open for one or two days.  Any longer, and overfishing would be the result.

Thus, the recreational fishing industry and the anglers’ rights community tried to win themselves an extended fishing season, and larger red snapper landings—even at the price of increased fishing mortality—by convincing state and federal regulators that the National Marine Fisheries Service should issue exempted fishing permits to the states, ostensibly to test new approaches to data collection, which would also allow anglers to ignore the annual red snapper catch limit, fish for an extended period, and bring more red snapper home.

Those permits were issued on May 1.  On May 5, members of the commercial fishing industry filed a legal action seeking to enjoin the operation of the permits, arguing that recreational fishing pursuant to the permits would cause the South Atlantic red snapper stock to be overfished, causing harm to those members of the commercial fishing industry who also harvest red snapper.  On May 21, just hours before Florida’s expanded recreational season for South Atlantic red snapper was to open, a judge sitting on the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction which halted fishing activity pursuant to the exempted fishing permits until the matter can be decided on its merits.

Read the full article at ONE ANGLER’S VOYAGE

The Longest Atlantic Red Snapper Season in Years Is on Hold

May 26 2026 — When the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) in early May to states from North Carolina south, Atlantic red snapper anglers couldn’t hold in their excitement. That’s because offshore anglers in the South Atlantic have been completely handcuffed from targeting and keeping red snapper for years. Since 2020, the red snapper season in Atlantic federal waters has been just one to four days in July. Even before 2020, the red snapper season has been in overhaul mode since 2010 — there hasn’t been an Atlantic federal recreational season that’s exceeded 8 days since then.

The EFPs are a way for the states to finally have longer recreational red snapper seasons in 2026. Officially, NMFS said:

“The EFPs allow the states to pilot test state data collection and management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper in 2026. The EFPs are intended to improve data on recreational fishing effort and catch of red snapper in the South Atlantic and to inform the development of a long-term state-led management strategy for the recreational harvest of red snapper.”

What that means for anglers is a 2026 season that spans months, not a weekend. Off Florida, anglers in federal waters receive 39 days (May 22 – June 20, October 2-4, October 9-11, and October 16-18), while Georgia and the Carolinas enjoy 62 days (July 1 – August 31). Bag limit is just one red snapper a day, but that couldn’t stop the overall buzz and excitement around the docks.

First up was the Sunshine State. In Florida, anglers readied their boats for a Memorial weekend fishing trip, while charters from Jacksonville south were booked with expectant bottom fishermen. As part of the EFPs, anglers are required to declare their fishing trip and report back their red snapper catches.

Read the full article at Wired2fish.com

FLORIDA: Gov. DeSantis snaps back at red snapper setback

May 26, 2026 — The season almost began before a judge put the start on pause.

A defiant Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped a recent judicial decision throwing the near-term fate of Florida’s newly-expanded Atlantic Ocean red snapper season into doubt.

“This is a judge in Washington, D.C. Probably doesn’t know the first thing about fishing. And they’re doing this. It’s not a good decision,” DeSantis said in Jacksonville at Ribault High School.

On May 21, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an appointee of former President Barack Obama who did his undergraduate work at Florida State University, issued an injunction blocking recreational fishing in Atlantic waters.

The block was ill-timed, issued one day before it was slated to start Friday, as the Judge sided with the Southeastern Fisheries Association.

DeSantis said the decision will be appealed, blasting “commercial fishermen” who “want it all for themselves” as he argued that there were plenty of fish in the sea.

Read the full article at Florida Politics

NORTH CAROLINA: Pilot project extends summer red snapper season 62 days

May 6, 2026 — Recreational red snapper season will be open 62 days this summer for anglers willing to take part in a pilot project designed to monitor the tightly regulated fishery.

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is one of four Southeastern states to receive a federal exempted fishing permit, or EFP, that lets anglers take part in testing out a data-collection program that will use a mobile application to monitor the recreational red snapper season. The hook-and-line-only season will be July 1-Aug. 31.

Anglers who would like to participate must dowwnload the VESL mobile application to receive a copy of the EFP, which they will be required to keep throughout the season. Participants must agree to record their red snapper harvest and discard information.

Read the full article at CoastalReview.org

Future of the Catch: the Modernization of Recreational Red Snapper Data Collection

May 4, 2026 — Red snapper is a cultural and economic cornerstone for coastal communities in the Gulf of America. The species is a massive driver for tourism and local commerce. For many in the Southeast, red snapper fishing is a multi-generational tradition, making it a flagship species for the world’s largest recreational fishery. Effectively managing and preserving this vibrant species requires more than just accuracy, it demands a swift, responsive flow of data.

Technological advancements are shortening data collection timelines. This means scientists are able to collect larger pools of data, faster than ever, and can quickly analyze results to better inform management decisions. NOAA Fisheries deploys AI-driven video and acoustic monitoring devices to count fish in their natural habitat. We also rely on other key components of the data modernization revolution to improve our data.

In 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission announced seven new red snapper data improvement projects. On January 1, 2026, these projects began, marking the beginning of a collaborative, state-federal initiative to improve recreational fishing effort and discard data collection in the Gulf. To see this transformation in action, meet three of the partners redefining how we understand and protect the fishery.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Trump, DeSantis herald extended Atlantic red snapper season

May 4, 2026 — President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that federal regulators had approved a permit for Florida to temporarily take over management of recreational red snapper fishing off the Atlantic coast.

Under Florida’s earlier proposed plan, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would be allowed to manage Atlantic red snapper through 2028. The state’s plan would give Atlantic recreational anglers a 39-day red snapper fishing season this year, a massive spike compared to last year’s two-day season. Exempted fishing permits were also given to Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

As of Friday evening, NOAA Fisheries had not officially published its approval. Multiple agency spokespeople did not respond to requests for information on the permit approvals.

Read the full article at E&E News

FLORIDA: Florida pushes for longest recreational red snapper season in 15 years

February 18, 2026 — Florida’s Atlantic Coast could see its longest red snapper season in more than 15 years if federal regulators approve a proposal to shift management of the fishery to the state.

According to a Feb. 12 article by Action News JAX, Florida and three other Southern states have petitioned the federal government to test state-led management of Atlantic red snapper. If approved, Florida’s plan would establish a 30-day season beginning in May, followed by three additional three-day openings in the fall. This would be a significant expansion compared to the short, highly restricted season anglers have faced for nearly two decades.

Charter captain Adam Petnuch of Reel Dream Fishing Charter in St. Augustine told Action News he has fished the South Atlantic for more than a decade and have never seen a full-length red snapper season.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

States could net control of red snapper season

February 17, 2026 — The Trump administration is taking steps toward shifting regulatory authority over red snapper in Atlantic Ocean federal waters to states, a move that some state leaders have argued is necessary to sustain their sportfishing economies.

NOAA Fisheries announced Wednesday it would open a 25-day comment period on “exempted fishing permits” for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The permits would allow the states to “test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery,” the agency said.

Read the full article at E&E News