Saving Seafood

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

GEORGIA: Georgia legislature sends shrimp labeling bill to governor for signature

February 17, 2026 — The Georgia state legislature has passed a bill requiring restaurants to clearly label imported shrimp on their menus or with a public placard, sending it to Governor Brian Kemp to be signed into law.

“This bill simply requires that shrimp sold in foodservice establishments must be labeled as foreign imports IF they are not domestic,” State Representative Jesse Petrea, who sponsored House Bill 117, said in a social media post shortly after it passed the Georgia General Assembly. “This measure provides transparency for consumers and will benefit our GA Shrimpers.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Debate grows over NOAA plan to expand snapper access

February 13, 2026 — Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that they are accepting public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

These permits propose to extend recreational fishing seasons for vulnerable red snapper in the South Atlantic. Overfishing drove the red snapper population to just 11 percent of its historical abundance; in response, seasons were reduced as part of a rebuilding plan set to last through 2044.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA leaps forward on collaborative approach for red snapper

February 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries announced today a major collaborative step toward boosting red snapper recreational fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic. The agency invites public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The EFPs are designed to test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery.

This 25-day public comment period marks an important step in NOAA’s review and consideration of management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper, which will balance sustainability and economic benefits. These actions are also expected to increase opportunities for American recreational fishermen.

Read the full article at NOAA 

North Atlantic right whale news from winter calving grounds

December 16, 2025 — There’s good news and bad news coming out of the North Atlantic right whale calving grounds off the Southeastern U.S.

Two new North Atlantic right whale calves have been spotted in the past week, bringing the tally for the season up to five. They were seen off the coasts of Georgia and North Carolina by an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute.

The whale known as Bocce and her new calf were sighted on Wednesday, Dec. 10, off Doboy Sound, Georgia. Bocce is 18 years old and this is her third known calf, according to CMA spokesperson Marsha Strickhouser. Bocce is also the sister of Millipede, another mom this season.

Read the full article at CAI

GEORGIA: Right whales return to Georgia coast

November 10, 2025 — North Atlantic right whales have returned to their calving grounds off Georgia earlier than expected. Or at least two of them did.

Anglers videoed the two endangered whales off Hilton Head, S.C., and Savannah Wednesday afternoon, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Two right whales were also reported near Cape Lookout, N.C., on Saturday but researchers couldn’t determine if they were the same whales.

“It is possible they are the same pair that was seen off Cape Lookout on Saturday,” DNR senior wildlife biologist Jessica Thompson told The Current GA. “The sighting documentation was similar. They had video that made it clear it was two adult right whales, but not clear enough to confirm ID. There was also an unconfirmed sighting at another location in N.C. of a single adult. No others have been seen in the Southeast yet. These are the early birds.”

The state marine mammal of Georgia, North Atlantic right whales are one of the most imperiled large whales, with a population estimated last month at 384 individuals. These bus-sized mammals migrate more than 1,000 miles each fall from Canada and New England to the Southeast. The waters off Georgia, north Florida and South Carolina are considered their core calving area, but they usually arrive in late November or early December.

Thompson, leader of the agency’s work with marine mammals, called the early sighting of these two uncommon but not unheard of. It did create an urgency to “make sure boaters know right whales are back and everyone is aware of the need to be vigilant.” She also encouraged boaters to report all sightings and stay at least 500 yards from any whale seen.

Read the full article at GPB

Southern states ask US government to hand over control of red snapper management

October 29, 2025 — Officials from three Southern states are again asking the U.S. federal government to cede its regulatory authority over red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean to state governments, arguing that more local control of the species will be better for the fisheries.

While the South Atlantic red snapper fishery is federally designated as subject to overfishing, recreational fishers claim the fish population is far greater than official numbers, and state representatives and officials have resisted all efforts to limit fishing.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Supporting Fisheries Research and Restoration in Georgia’s Largest Watershed

September 9, 2025 — The Altamaha River Basin in Georgia drains more than 14,000 square miles—including rivers in Athens, Macon, and parts of southeast Atlanta—into the Atlantic Ocean. Fish species like American eel, shad, blueback herring, and sturgeon use the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers and other tributaries in the watershed as they migrate upstream. However, several barriers, including the Juliette and Sinclair Dams, limit access to upstream habitat these fish have historically used for spawning. These dams are also reducing the quality of habitat by converting natural, free-flowing rivers into artificial lakes and interrupting the downstream flow of sediment.

NOAA worked alongside state and federal resource agencies to develop a basin-wide plan to re-establish fish passage above human-made barriers. The plan also addressed restoring the quality and quantity of available spawning habitat. To inform strategic fish passage design and implementation of the plan, we funded two university-led studies in the basin.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

GEORGIA: Georgia lawmakers approve bill requiring restaurants to label imported shrimp

February 21, 2025 — State lawmakers from the U.S. state of Georgia have passed a bill that would require restaurants to clearly note on their menus if the shrimp they are serving is imported.

“It is time we support our domestic shrimpers and ensure that consumers know what they are eating,” Representative Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) said upon introducing the legislation in January. “Only 5 percent of imported foods are inspected, and shrimp from Thailand, China, India, and Ecuador primarily are often pond-raised in unsanitary environments. I believe this measure will give consumers the knowledge they need to request domestic and, hopefully, Georgia wild shrimp.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

New technology gives hope to save endangered right whales

January 2, 2024 — Most winter days off Georgia’s coast, scientists crisscross the waves looking for North Atlantic right whales. Those in a boat stay in constant contact with colleagues in a small plane — all scanning the water for whales and, hopefully, newborn calves.

Whale surveys like this are critical to identifying and cataloging every right whale calf that’s born, important work because these are some of the most endangered whales in the world. Just about 370 North Atlantic right whales remain.

But the surveys in the sky and on the water are also imperfect, so scientists are ramping up the effort to track the whales in other ways — especially in the Southeast, where the whales migrate to give birth this time of year.

Read the full article at NPR