Saving Seafood

Georgia anglers embark on controversial red snapper season | Exclusive

October 16, 2026 — A controversial red snapper season currently underway off the coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina is the latest battle in the long-running conflict between commercial and recreational fishers over limited fish populations.

But this time, the 14-day season promises to yield something both sides want: data.

Red snapper in the Gulf and the South Atlantic were overfished in the 1990s, leading to tight federal limits on commercial and recreational harvests. Since 2008, Georgia anglers have been allowed to fish for red snapper for only a few days each year, if at all.

Now, NOAA Fisheries says red snapper populations have recovered enough to support an “experimental” season that will test a new Georgia system for reporting how many red snapper are caught—and thrown back—by recreational fishers.

Read the full article at Savannah Morning News

Florida fishers fight red snapper fishing season that starts Oct. 9

October 8, 2026 — Six commercial fishing businesses and fishermen, including two on the Treasure Coast, have filed a lawsuit challenging a two-week recreational red snapper fishing season for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina that starts Oct. 9.

The lawsuit contends the decision to allow the 14-day season was based on unsupported assumptions that will lead to overharvest of red snapper.

Read the full article at TC Palm

Fishermen challenge red snapper permits

October 7, 2026 — Six commercial fishing businesses and fishermen from Florida and North Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit challenging exempted fishing permits that authorize a 14-day recreational red snapper season in South Atlantic federal waters.

The lawsuit, Ariel Seafoods of Florida, Inc. v. Lutnick, was filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare three permits issued Sept. 21 to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina illegal.

The permits authorize recreational red snapper harvest in federal waters off the three states from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, with the possibility of a second season in December. NMFS has separately established a three-day federal season, Oct. 9-11, for anglers not participating under a state permit.

At the center of the dispute is how additional red snapper harvest is being allocated between the recreational and commercial sectors.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Fishermen challenge red snapper permits

October 6, 2026 — Six commercial fishing businesses and fishermen from Florida and North Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit challenging exempted fishing permits that authorize a 14-day recreational red snapper season in South Atlantic federal waters.

The lawsuit, Ariel Seafoods of Florida, Inc. v. Lutnick, was filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare three permits issued Sept. 21 to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina illegal.

The permits authorize recreational red snapper harvest in federal waters off the three states from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, with the possibility of a second season in December. NMFS has separately established a three-day federal season, Oct. 9-11, for anglers not participating under a state permit.

At the center of the dispute is how additional red snapper harvest is being allocated between the recreational and commercial sectors.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MAINE: Several whales got entangled along the Maine coast in 2025, federal report finds

October 2, 2026 — A new report finds there were 76 confirmed entangled large whales documented along the coasts of the United States in 2025.

The report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries says five of those entanglements were off the coast of Maine, with another unidentified whale in the Gulf of Maine. There were also two entanglements within the Gulf of Maine off the coast of Massachusetts.

The identified entangled whales off the Maine coast include three humpback whales, a fin whale and a minke whale. Both of the entangled whales off the northern coast of Massachusetts were humpback whales.

There was only one documented entanglement involving a North Atlantic right whale in 2025. That case was off the coast of Georgia.

Read the full article at WMTW

Gulf Fishermen Lose Fight Against Deep Grouper Cuts After Georgia Court Battle

September 5, 2026 — Commercial fishermen hoping to overturn massive catch cuts in the Gulf of America just hit a wall in federal court.

Longtime Gulf fishermen Dominick and James Russo took the federal government to court after fishery managers slashed gag grouper harvest limits by roughly 86 percent. The family-run business, FFC Seafood, argued that the steep restrictions took a huge bite out of their income and should be thrown out because the Gulf Fishery Management Council is unconstitutionally structured.

On September 3, a panel for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Georgia agreed with the fishermen on one major point: parts of the federal law do give the Council unconstitutional powers. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Council members hold special veto powers over the Secretary of Commerce, even though they aren’t nominated by the President or confirmed by the Senate.

The catch? None of those veto powers were actually used to put the grouper cuts in place.

Read the full article at Tampa Free Press

State-managed recreational red snapper harvest proposals come in 10 times bigger than current limit

August 12, 2026 — Proposals for state management of the South Atlantic red snapper fishery in federal waters set a collective harvest limit of 215,391 fish, roughly 10 times higher than the previous recreational harvest limit of 22,797 fish.

The proposals were submitted by the state governments of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and would set month-long recreational seasons in the fall.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

American Icons: Reviving the River Herring

July 31, 2026 — As he watched the British bombarding Fort McHenry from a truce ship on the Patapsco River, inspiration struck Francis Scott Key. When the American flag was raised after 24 hours of explosive assault, Key wrote what would become “The Star Spangled Banner.” Our national anthem was born, along with our country’s obsession with fireworks.

But long before there were red rockets glaring in the sky, the Patapsco River had an equally impressive natural spectacle of its own. Every spring, it would turn silver with millions of river herring. The annual migration of these fish was a sight to behold in rivers up and down the East Coast of North America. In fact, here at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Maryland, Muddy Creek used to be called Herring Creek.

Emphasis on “used to.” In less than a century, river herring populations have dwindled by well over 90 percent. These fish have certainly seen better days, but recovery efforts are well underway. Scientists are fighting an upstream battle to protect what remains, using cutting-edge research and… bombs bursting in air?

Read the full article at the Smithsonian Magazine

NOAA Fisheries Announces a Negative 90-day Finding on A Petition Request to Revise the Critical Habitat Designation for the North Atlantic Right Whale

July 21, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries received a petition from Save Long Beach Island, Inc. to revise the critical habitat designation for North Atlantic right whales under the Endangered Species Act. The petition requests a revision to the current critical habitat designation to include a migratory habitat in waters between Maine and Georgia.

NOAA Fisheries reviewed the petition, references provided by the petition, and information readily available in our files, and found that the petition does not present substantial scientific information indicating a revision to North Atlantic right whale critical habitat may be warranted. Therefore, a negative 90-day finding was made.

Read the notice as filed in the Federal Register today.

Questions?

Industry: Jean Higgins, Protected Resources, 978-281-9345

Media: Contact GARFO Public Affairs

GEORGIA: NOAA says snapper permits top priority locally in ‘America-first’ seafood strategy

July 8, 2026 — A new federal push could have a big impact on fishermen in Coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association announced a new “America First” seafood strategy aimed at boosting the U.S. seafood industry July 2. The plan focuses on supporting commercial fishermen, cutting regulations and expanding access to domestic seafood.

For the South Atlantic region, which includes Georgia and South Carolina, NOAA officials said its priorities are to revise the Snapper Grouper permit policies and support state agency led exempted permits for red snapper.

Read the full article at WSAV